LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson each had two RBIs and the Atlanta Braves rocked Blake Snell for five runs in three innings in his season debut for a 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night.

Spencer Strider (1-0) threw six scoreless innings, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II and Drake Baldwin each drove in a run, and the Braves snapped an eight-game losing streak at Dodger Stadium.

Snell (0-1) had been dealing with left shoulder fatigue, delaying the start of his season after missing much of 2025 because of a left shoulder injury before contributing in the playoffs to the Dodgers’ second consecutive World Series title. He had been scheduled to make one more rehabilitation start in the minors, but Los Angeles moved him up with the hope Snell would able to throw five innings.

Instead, Snell was pulled after allowing four earned runs, six hits and two walks on 77 pitches with five strikeouts.

Snell immediately found himself in a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the first inning, but he limited the damage to one run.

The Braves again loaded the bases in the second, and they capitalized to take a 5-0 lead when Albies stretched out to connect on a two-run single, followed up by Olson's two-run single.

Andy Pages prevented the shutout with a two-run homer in the ninth for the Dodgers.

There was a pregame moment of silence honoring longtime Braves manager Bobby Cox, who died Saturday, and former Braves owner Ted Turner, the media mogul who died Wednesday.

Up next

The Braves will go with Bryce Elder (3-1, 2.02 ERA) in the series finale on Sunday. He has allowed a .136 batting average over 19 2/3 innings in three road starts this season. Justin Wrobleski (5-0, 1.25) has allowed two earned runs in 32 innings during a five-game winning streak for the Dodgers.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered, Shohei Ohtani hit a go-ahead single and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 3-1 in a showdown of National League division leaders Friday night.

Ohtani drove in Miguel Rojas to put the Dodgers up 2-1 with two outs in the fifth. Rojas reached second base on a throwing error by shortstop Jim Jarvis to start the inning.

Freeman led off the sixth with his fourth home run, a 413-foot shot to center field. He had gone 25 games without one.

Alex Vesia (1-0) got one out in relief for the win, and Tanner Scott pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.

Atlanta ace Chris Sale (6-2) allowed three runs — two earned — and five hits over seven innings. He struck out seven and walked none.

Michael Harris II went 4 for 4, but the Braves dropped their eighth straight game at Dodger Stadium.

Austin Riley put Atlanta ahead with an RBI single in the second that left runners at the corners before Emmet Sheehan limited the damage with consecutive strikeouts.

Kyle Tucker tied it at 1 in the bottom half with a bloop RBI double.

Harris was tagged out at home plate by catcher Will Smith to end the fourth. Rojas' relay throw from shortstop was in time after Riley doubled off the bullpen wall in left field. The call was upheld after Braves manager Walt Weiss challenged.

Up next

Blake Snell will make his season debut Saturday night for the Dodgers instead of making one more minor league rehab start in his recovery from left shoulder fatigue. Spencer Strider (0-0, 8.10 ERA) pitches for Atlanta after he allowed three earned runs in 3 1/3 innings at Colorado on Sunday.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB