The Dodgers matched the Braves with five runs each for the first nine frames, but the Braves rallied for four in the 12th to give the Dodgers a loss.
Chad Billingsley posted another quality start, holding the Braves to two runs on four hits through six innings. Hong-Chih Kuo game on for the seventh and gave up a two-run homerun. The Dodgers had a 5-4 lead heading into the ninth, but Jonathan Broxton blew the save as he allowed a run to score and sent the game to extras. James McDonald held for two innings and then Ramon Troncoso was tagged for the loss as he allowed the go-ahead run to score on an RBI-base hit. Scott Elbert then gave up a three-run homerun to put the game out of reach.
The Dodgers managed to squeeze in five runs off Braves’ starter Jair Jurrjens. Orlando Hudson knocked in a run before Casey Blake drilled a three-run shot in the fifth inning. The Dodgers were then shut down by the Braves’ bullpen after that, with their only real chance at scoring coming in the 11th with runners on second and third and two outs. Andre Ethier was intentionally walked but Tony Abreu, in his first at-bat of the season, grounded out to end the threat.
Clayton Kershaw will take on Kenshin Kawakami in Saturday’s game.
