Braves' 5-run frame hands Kershaw rare loss

ATLANTA -- Clayton Kershaw surrendered more runs than he had in any of his previous 14 starts against Atlanta and Ozzie Albies extended his extra-base-hit streak in a timely manner. But it was the work of a more-than-capable bullpen that proved to be the most encouraging development from the Braves’ 6-4 win over the Dodgers on Saturday night at Truist Park.

A Braves bullpen, which went from being a strength to a liability since last season, provided four scoreless innings after Charlie Morton managed to limit the damage over five innings. The solid relief work backed the two-run doubles Albies and Dansby Swanson tallied in a five-run third against Kershaw.

“We know what’s in us and we showed it tonight, which was fun,” Braves closer Will Smith said.

• Box score

Kershaw's struggles during the third frame allowed Atlanta to beat Los Angeles for the first time since squandering a 3-1 series lead in last year’s National League Championship Series.

While the Dodgers have righted themselves after faltering for a few weeks this season, the Braves have struggled to get on a roll and their bullpen has played a key role in the team’s inconsistencies. This victory improves them to 23-5 when leading after six innings. They were 27-0 in such games last year and 76-6 during the 2019 season.

Unlike the past two seasons, no lead has felt safe. But coming off Friday’s ugly series-opening loss, the Braves saw the potential of their bullpen, as A.J. Minter, Luke Jackson, Tyler Matzek, Chris Martin and Smith combined to allow just one hit over the final four innings.

“That’s the baseball we had become accustomed to,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “They all handed it off to each other and did a really good job.”

Albies’ double gave him an extra-base hit in five straight games and, more important, sparked the uprising that overcame the three-run fourth the Dodgers tallied against Morton. But the final four innings are what mattered most for a team that entered Saturday with an NL-high 14 bullpen losses and eight blown saves.

“I feel like we have a good team in the clubhouse,” Morton said. “I feel like guys support each other. So, it’s been really frustrating just to see guys struggle in that way. It all really goes back to just keep grinding and just trying to get some momentum, because I know it’s going to come. I just hope sooner than later.”

Here’s a look at how the Braves bullpen got it done.

Sixth Inning: A one-run lead was handed to Minter, who was pitching for the first time since surrendering Yan Gomes’ go-ahead homer in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s loss to the Nationals. The lefty has encountered a couple of brief rough patches. But as he ended this appearance with consecutive strikeouts of Albert Pujols and Austin Barnes, he looked more like the guy who recorded seven strikeouts over three innings against the Dodgers in Game 5 of last year’s NLCS.

“A night like tonight can get that fire started and get the boys rolling,” Jackson said.

Seventh Inning: Jackson has bounced back from last year’s ugly season to post a 1.25 ERA through his first 24 appearances. Jackson may have worked a perfect seventh had Austin Riley not botched a Mookie Betts grounder. He was replaced by Matzek, who was brought in to face lefty slugger Cody Bellinger. Matzek walked Bellinger, but then needed just three pitches to strike out right-handed hitter Chris Taylor.

Matzek hasn’t pitched as effectively as he did last year. But Snitker is hoping this outing proves to be a boost for the left-hander, whose strikeout rate has at least mirrored the 35.5 percent he produced last year.

“[Matzek] was never a matchup guy last year,” Snitker said. “His stuff plays to both sides and it’s alive. His command hasn’t been the greatest and whatnot. But the guy never gives in and that was great. That should be a shot in the arm for him.”

Eighth inning: After Abraham Almonte created a two-run lead with a pinch-hit homer off Blake Treinen, Martin hit AJ Pollock to open the eighth and then retired the next three batters. Martin missed most of the season’s first month with a shoulder issue. But he’s again a key part of a bullpen that could add Shane Greene within the next couple days.

Ninth inning: Smith capped the bullpen’s best collective effort of the season with his most dominant performance of the year. The left-handed closer needed just 14 pitches to strike out Los Angeles’ Will Smith, Betts and Justin Turner during a perfect ninth.

The Smith vs. Smith matchup was the first since the Dodgers catcher hit the decisive, go-ahead homer in the sixth inning of Game 5 of last year’s NLCS.

“They don’t just hand out ‘W’s in the big leagues,” Smith said. “You’ve got to earn them. I think we earned that one tonight, for sure. So, yeah, it just feels good. We’ll listen to music tonight, go home, get some sleep and do it again tomorrow.”