The Los Angeles Dodgers had already lost the series to the Atlanta Braves, but they entered Thursday hoping to avoid a sweep. Manager Dave Roberts knew that facing Chris Sale in the series finale would be a challenge, but he hardly expected the Braves to deliver a 1-0 shutout. With the Dodgers chasing a third consecutive World Series title, every loss carries added weight as the postseason approaches. After watching his team drop another series on Thursday, Roberts did not hide his disappointment.
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“I wish we’d played better; I wish we had won the game,” Dave Roberts said after the loss, per SportsNet LA on X. “I wish we had won the series. It didn’t happen. But right now, there’s nothing we can do but just go out there and keep trying to get better and win a baseball game.”
On Thursday, Yoshinobu Yamamoto faltered just once, and that was his very first pitch, an 89 mph splitter. But that was all the opening the Braves needed, as Drake Baldwin launched a massive 402-foot solo home run. The Braves’ offense remained otherwise quiet for the night. Yamamoto allowed four hits and struck out 8 across 6.1 innings. Neither he nor the Dodgers’ relievers allowed any more runs to the Braves.
It was a pitcher’s battle on Thursday, and Chris Sale took the mound for the Braves. Sale holds a 13-9 record and a 2.06 ERA in 24 starts this season. On Wednesday, after dropping their second game of the series, Roberts had warned that facing Sale would not be easy.
“Then obviously you’re staring down Chris Sale tomorrow to salvage the series, so it’s certainly not a comfortable position. But we’re gonna go out there and try to salvage the series,” Roberts said postgame on Wednesday.
Sale proved the Dodgers’ manager right. On Thursday, across 9 innings, the veteran starter single-handedly dominated the Dodgers’ lineup. He shut down the defending World Series champions, fanning 11 hitters and allowing only 5 hits in 109 pitches.
Among the largely silenced Dodgers lineup, Mookie Betts recorded 2 hits in his 4 at-bats. Despite losing the season series to the Braves, he remains positive heading into the upcoming series.
“I’m feeling a little bit better,” Betts told the reporters, per BleedLosPodcast. “I was able to turn on the compete mode and go grind something out to try and get us one. So I’m feeling a bit better. Hopefully, we can ride it into tomorrow.”
Betts is under a 12-year, $365 million contract. During the interview, Betts also dismissed any worries about their World Series run.
“I remember last year we got swept by a few different teams. Um, we still were able to win the World Series. So, yeah, only the game will tell who wins,” Betts added.
In 2025, despite offensive struggles, Betts helped the Dodgers secure a 3-1 win in Game 6 with his two-run single. His RBI hit took the World Series to Game 7. However, his defense remained stellar as he initiated the championship-winning double play in Game 7. So if the veteran is not losing hope yet, the Dodgers fans can still breathe easy.
The Dodgers play the Detroit Tigers next, and Tarik Skubal will take the mound against his former team.