From the start, the Atlanta Braves knew that they would be going with a bullpen game in Game 2 of the National League Division Series.
asserted
they → know → Series
The unexpected twist: The Dodgers essentially had to do the same thing, as well.
asserted
Dodgers → do → thing
After a rather straightforward victory in the opening game of this best-of-five series, nothing went according to plan for the Dodgers on Sunday.
uncertain
nothing → open → Sunday
Blake Snell failed to complete four innings, grinding through poor command and long at-bats in a start of only one run but also five walks.
asserted
Snell → fail → run
The relief corps was saddled with a heavy workload, turning another sweltering night at Chavez Ravine into a sweat-inducing battle of the bullpens.
And after the Dodgers gift-wrapped the Braves a run in the fifth inning, when Teoscar Hernández turned a seemingly routine fly ball into a triple and Kris Bubic threw a run-scoring wild pitch, the two-time defending champions found themselves on the back foot for the first time this fall.
asserted
champions → saddle → time
In a 3-2 loss, they wouldn’t recover.
asserted
they → recover → loss
Instead, a series the Dodgers seemed to have under control coming into Sunday has quickly been flipped on its head.
asserted
Dodgers → seem → head
The Braves’ decision to save staff ace Chris Sale for Game 3 –– the controversial pre-game talking point –– now looks prescient.
asserted
decision → save → Game
The Dodgers’ decision to start Snell in Game 2, and not Yoshinobu Yamamoto, now seems questionable.
asserted
decision → start → Yamamoto
And while the Braves had to burn through the heart of their bullpen, using six different arms to piece together 27 outs, so too did the Dodgers, who summoned six relievers of their own in a losing effort.
asserted
who → have → effort
With Game 3 set for Tuesday night back in Atlanta, this 1-1 series suddenly appears to be up for grabs.
asserted
series → set → grabs
The Dodgers were behind from the start on Sunday, with Snell –– who had previously pitched just five innings since Sept. 11 because of a groin injury, yet got the nod for Game 2 to remain on his regular pitching schedule –– giving up a quick run in the first.
asserted
Game → pitch → first
The Braves loaded the bases with one out, on a single from Ronald Acuña Jr. single and two walks from Snell, before Mauricio Dubón got a run home on an infield knock –– sending a ground ball deep into the hole at shortstop that Mookie Betts fielded, but made an errant throw to first on.
asserted
Betts → load → first
Snell ultimately limited the damage there, but required 27 pitches in doing so, putting him on track for his short, inefficient start.
asserted
Snell → limit → start
The bigger problem, meanwhile, was Braves opener Ray Kerr –– who showed no signs of fatigue just two days removed from a heroic 47-pitch outing in Game 3 of the wild-card series.
asserted
who → show → series
Like he did then against the Phillies, Kerr gave Atlanta unexpected length, working all the way into the third without damage.
asserted
Kerr → do → damage
Trouble was brewing in his final frame, after Miguel Rojas –– inserted into the starting lineup in place of Max Muncy to counteract the left-handed pitcher –– roped a full-count curveball down the line for a leadoff double.
But, the Dodgers couldn’t take advantage.
asserted
Dodgers → brew → advantage
It would become a theme on the night.
asserted
It → become → night
The fourth inning saw the Dodgers briefly the score, when Freddie Freeman –– he of just one home run in his final 66 regular-season games while battling a right knee injury –– lifted a low slider from right-hander Grant Holmes over the wall in right.
asserted
he → see → right
But there would be another missed chance later in the inning, with high-leverage Atlanta left-hander Dylan Lee stranding a pair of runners, before the Dodgers fell right back behind in the fifth on Hernández’s and Bubic’s miscues.
asserted
Dodgers → miss → miscues
Off the bat, Hernández appeared to have a bead on a slicing opposite-field, two-out line drive from Michael Harris II.
asserted
Hernández → appear → II
But the ball kept drifting away from him, evading his outstretched glove before rattling around in the corner for a triple.
asserted
ball → keep → triple
Three pitches later, Bubic airmailed a sweeper that catcher Will Smith couldn’t handle.
asserted
Smith → airmail → that
The self-inflicted wound left the Dodgers trailing again, 2-1.
asserted
wound → inflict → Dodgers
In the bottom of the fifth, the Dodgers’ first two batters got aboard, before hard-throwing right-hander Robert Suarez came in and retired the next three he faced.
asserted
he → get → three
After that, another rocket-armed righty, Didier Fuentes, went nine up, nine down over three scoreless innings –– all while the Braves doubled their lead on a two-out RBI double Harris smacked against a dead-red cutter from Edgardo Henriquez in the seventh.
asserted
Harris → arm → seventh
That would be just enough cushion for Atlanta, which sent Fuentes back to the mound for a fourth inning of work, watched him give up a two-out home run to Max Muncy, but ultimately survived after closer Raisel Iglesias came in and got the pinch-hitting Josue De Paula to pop up for the final out.
asserted
Paula → send → out
In the end, the Dodgers managed just six hits, went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, and left seven men on base.
asserted
Dodgers → manage → base
They have now squandered their home-field advantage.
asserted
They → squander → advantage
They no longer hold a clear pitching edge either.
asserted
They → hold → edge
They haven’t even scored yet without the help of a home run.
asserted
They → score → run
Instead, their best-laid plans have gone all wrong.
asserted
plans → lay → ?
In their quest for a three-peat, it’s officially game on.
asserted
it → ’ → peat
The Aporia
