Dodgers-Braves NLDS Game 4: Dodgers top Braves, head to NLCS to take on Brewers

Manny Machado, second from left, celebrates his three-run home run with teammate Matt Kemp.

(Scott Cunningham / Getty Images)

Baseball is not predicated on violence. The sport revolves around grace and grit, subtlety and subterfuge, deception and dexterity. The game does not celebrate the brutal.

Yet there is no other way to describe what transpired in the seventh inning on Monday: Manny Machado committed a violent act against a baseball, unleashing all his frustration and force on a 95-mph fastball, launching a concussive, three-run homer that solidified the Dodgers’ capture of the National League Division Series with a 6-2 victory in Game 4 over the Braves.

The blast stunned SunTrust Park and delighted the Dodgers. Inside the dugout, Rich Hill gasped. Clayton Kershaw skipped. Cody Bellinger held his arms aloft. Machado popped a wad of Dubble Bubble before rounding the bases. A parade of hitters flowed up the steps to greet him.

“Get that money,” Joc Pederson cried. “Get that money.”

Over the winter, when Machado dives into free agency, his net worth will expand. For now, he still can play a prominent role in the Dodgers’ pursuit of a championship. For the fourth time in six seasons, the team will compete in the National League Championship Series. Milwaukee hosts Game 1 on Friday.

To get there, the Dodgers bullied a youthful Braves team. They rebounded from a shaky outing by Walker Buehler in Game 3 to finish the job on Monday. David Freese supplied a go-ahead, two-run single in the sixth inning. Machado unloaded on Braves reliever Chad Sobotka an inning later to pad the lead.

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BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: Kenta Maeda pitching. Camargo struck out swinging. Flowers grounded to third. Inciarte singled to center. Culberson singled to right, Inciarte to third. Lucas Duda, batting for the pitcher, hit a long foul ball that the crowd tried to wish fair for a home run. Then he flied to center and Bellinger held up the ball to show the fans to get them to stop that tomahawk chop.

TOP OF EIGHTH: Matt Kemp, batting for Ferguson, grounded to third. Pederson singled to right-center and was thrown out attempting to stretch it into a double. Turner grounded to second. DODGERS 6, BRAVES 2

BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: Pedro Baez stays on the mound. Albies grounded to second. Caleb Ferguson comes in to pitch to the left-handed Freeman. Freeman grounded to third. Markakis lined to center. DODGERS 6, BRAVES 2.

TOP OF SEVENTH: Chad Sobotka pitching. Turner singled to right. Muncy walked. Machado homered to left. It’s now 6-2 Dodgers. Grandal grounded to second. Hernandez walked. Julio Teheran now pitching. Bellinger struck out swinging. Puig struck out swinging. DODGERS 6, BRAVES 2

BOTTOM OF SIXTH: Pedro Baez now pitching. Culberson popped to second. Ryan Flaherty, batting for Fried, popped to third. Acuna flied to left. DODGERS 3, BRAVES 2

TOP OF SIXTH: Grandal flied to center. Hernandez singled to left. Bellinger grounded to second, forcing Hernandez. Puig singled to right, Bellinger to third. David Freese, hitting for Madson. Right-hander Brad Brach replaces Venters. Puig stole second. Freese singled to center, scoring both runners. Maybe they should give Freese the big contract in the off-season and not Machado. He loves October baseball. Dodgers lead, 3-2. Left-hander Max Fried replaces Brach. Pederson lined to third.

BOTTOM OF FIFTH: Albies popped to second. Freeman singled to third on a play Turner should have made. Markakis walked. Camargo grounded to short, but everyone is safe thanks to Machado’s error. Great series by Machado so far. I’d rather have Curtis Granderson back. And that will be it for Rich Hill. His defense and a tight strike zone betrayed him today. Ryan Madson is now pitching. He gets Flowers to pop to the catcher and Inciarte to pop to short. Great pitching by Madson to leave the bases loaded. BRAVES 2, DODGERS 1.

TOP OF FIFTH: Jonny Venters now pitching for the Braves. Pederson struck out swinging. Turner walked. Muncy grounded to short, forcing Turner at second. Machado grounded to second. BRAVES 2, DODGERS 1.

BOTTOM OF FOURTH: Camargo walked. That’s seven walks in this game in 3+ innings. The plate umpire must be getting paid for each walk. Flowers walked. That’s eight walks. Inciarte sacrificed. Runners on second and third, one out. Culberson grounded to third, runners holding. Atlanta rolls the dice and has Kurt Suzuki hit for Foltynewicz. And it pays off. Suzuki singles to left-center, scoring both runners. Acuna grounded to third. Now, can the Atlanta bullpen keep the Dodgers from scoring for the next five innings? BRAVES 2, DODGERS 1.

TOP OF FOURTH: Grandal popped to third. Hernandez grounded to short. Bellinger walked. Foltynewicz isn’t pleased with the strike zone either. With Puig batting, Bellinger stole second. Odd play, because now Atlanta walks Puig intentionally to bring Hill to the plate. Hill fouled off three 96-mph fastballs and two 90-mph sliders before striking out swinging. Impressive at-bat by Hill. DODGERS 1, BRAVES 0.

BOTTOM OF THIRD: Foltynewicz struck out looking. Acuna struck out looking. Albies singled to second. Freeman walked. Rich Hill is not pleased with the plate umpire, who apparently believes the strike zone should be the size of a matchbox. Markakis popped to third. 44 pitches through three innings for Hill. DODGERS 1, BRAVES 0.

TOP OF THIRD: Turner flied to center. Muncy struck out swinging. Machado lined to center. Quick inning for Foltynewicz. DODGERS 1, BRAVES 0.

BOTTOM OF SECOND: Tyler Flowers popped to first. Umpire is really squeezing the zone. Ender Inciarte grounded to first. Charlie Culberson, who is one for eight in the series, struck out swinging. DODGERS 1, BRAVES 0.

TOP OF SECOND: Enrique Hernandez flied to right. Cody Bellinger walked. Yasiel Puig singled to left, Bellinger to second. Foltynewicz does not have good stuff so far today. Appears a bit nervous. Rich Hill sacrificed. Pederson struck out swinging. I think Foltynewicz heard me say he was nervous. DODGERS 1, BRAVES 0.

BOTTOM OF FIRST: Ronald Acuna Jr. lined to second. Ozzie Albies flied to center. Freddie Freeman singled to center. This plate umpire has a tight strike zone, which is usually not good for Hill. Nick Markakis walked. First and second, two out. Johan Camargo fouled to first. Considering he gave up a walk and a hit, Hill got through that inning in an economical 14 pitches. DODGERS 1, BRAVES 0.

NLDS Game 4. Dodgers vs. Braves. Rich Hill vs. Mike Foltynewicz. Pull up a chair and spend the afternoon with us.

TOP OF FIRST: Joc Pederson struck out swinging. Justin Turner lined to center. Max Muncy walked. Manny Machado, making up for that horrible strike out last night, doubled to left, Muncy scoring. Yasmani Grandal struck out swinging. Now the question is: Do we get the dominant Rich Hill or the one who struggles? DODGERS 1, BRAVES 0.

Clayton Kershaw pitches in Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

If the Dodgers have their way, they will finish off the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the National League Division Series at SunTrust Park on Monday and shift their focus to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series. But a winner-take-all Game 5 in Los Angeles on Wednesday is a possibility. And if it happens, Clayton Kershaw, who was bypassed for Game 1, would start the game, manager Dave Roberts announced Monday.

“It was pretty simple,” Roberts said. “I think that we had our reasons why we decided on Game 1 versus Game 2. But if there’s a potential Game 5, we feel very confident that Clayton should be the guy taking the baseball.”

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Rich Hill

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Rich Hill began Sunday unsure whether he would pitch the next day or in nine days. The Dodgers left-hander’s fate depended on the Game 3’s result.

A Dodgers sweep and he would likely not start until Game 4 of the National League Championship Series scheduled for Oct.16, which would’ve meant a 16-day layoff. A Braves win and he’d be on the mound for Game 4 Monday afternoon at SunTrust Park with a berth in the National League Championship Series within reach.

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Dodgers reliever Alex Wood comes out of the game after giving up the go-ahead run to the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning on Sunday.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The first home run Alex Wood gave up to a left-handed hitter this season was blasted off the bat of Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman and landed a few rows beyond the right-field wall, feet from the Chop House, in the sixth inning Sunday night at SunTrust Park. In almost any other scenario it would’ve been an inconsequential blip, one even the best pitchers occasionally encounter when they face All-Star sluggers.

But Sunday was Game 3 of the National League Division Series and the score was tied with the Dodgers vying for a three-game series sweep. The stage was big and the margin for error was slim. So the first-pitch breaking ball that hung until Freeman’s lumber connected and launched it into orbit was a costly mistake. The solo home run was the difference in the Braves’ season-saving 6-5 victory.

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Milwaukee Brewers’ Keon Broxton celebrates after hitting a solo homerun in the ninth inning.

(Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)

The skies were gray. Rain was on the way. An eerie silence had fallen upon the grounds. This was the kind of foreboding you get in a bad novel.

But the performance of the home team had been so futile that a fan felt compelled to heckle his Colorado Rockies, with a voice that rang out loud and clear: “You’re playing the Brewers, for Christ’s sake!”

That was mere minutes after Jesus had hit a home run for the Milwaukee Brewers.

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Manny Machado looks on in the third inning against the Atlanta Braves during Game 3 of the National League Division Series.

(Rob Carr / Getty Images)

Manny Machado didn’t smile or scowl. He slipped on a yellow designer shirt and nonchalantly shrugged.

“It’s a baseball game,” he said.

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Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler can only watch as Ronald Acuna Jr. hits a grand slam in the second inning on Sunday.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

As the game was slowly collapsing around his young shoulders Sunday night, debris piling up, chanting fans closing in, Walker Buehler turned to his puzzled infielders with one last show of his renowned confidence.

“We’re fine,” he shouted.

Only this time, he wasn’t. Only this time, his words drifted into the thick air and disappeared into the hostile night.

This time, the kid with everything had nothing.

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The Dodgers’ Matt Kemp is tagged out by Braves catcher Kurt Suzuki in the sixth inning on Sunday.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Justin Turner slipped off his helmet as red fireworks burst above the ballpark. Max Muncy hung his arms over the dugout railing while a techno song from 1999 rattled the rafters of SunTrust Park. Manny Machado had already disappeared inside the clubhouse, where the Dodgers gathered to lick their wounds after a 6-5 defeat by Atlanta in Game 3 of the National League Division Series cost them a chance for a sweep.

The game revealed the paradox of the Dodgers offense. The duo of Muncy and Chris Taylor slugged a pair of home runs early in the night, exhibiting enough might to erase a five-run deficit created by rookie starter Walker Buehler. Turner led a brigade of batters who kept innings alive. Yet as the game drifted toward its conclusion, the hitters could not find a lone tally to match a solo home run struck by Braves All-Star Freddie Freeman off Alex Wood in the sixth inning.

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TOP OF NINTH: Right-hander Arodys Vizcaino in to pitch. Joc Pederson, batting for Taylor, singled to right. Turner walked. Muncy had a 3-0 count, but Vizcaino struck him out swinging. Machado struck out swinging at a pitch way outside. The ball went to the backstop, allowing Pederson to move to third and Turner to second. Dozier struck out swinging. Great job by Vizcaino in escaping the jam. BRAVES 6, DODGERS 5. Game 4 is Monday at 1:30 p.m. PT.

BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: Scott Alexander pitching. Brian Dozier at second. Freeman grounded to third. Markakis lined to third. Camargo lined to third. Fast inning. Dodgers are down to their final three outs. BRAVES 6, DODGERS 5.

TOP OF EIGHTH: A.J. Minter pitching for the Braves. Brian Dozier, hitting for Baez, singled to left. Bellinger struck out swinging. Hernandez flied to center. Grandal walked. Puig grounded to short. BRAVES 6, DODGERS 5.

BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: Pedro Baez pitching for the Dodgers. Culberson struck out swinging. Lucas Duda, hitting for Sobotka, stuck out swinging. Acuna walked. Inciarte struck out swinging. BRAVES 6, DODGERS 5.

TOP OF SEVENTH: Right-hander Chad Sobotka in to pitch. Turner flied to center. Muncy grounded to second. Machado popped to third. BRAVES 6, DODGERS 5

BOTTOM OF SIXTH: Alex Wood pitching for Dodgers. Yasiel Puig to right field. Freddie Freeman homered to right. Nick Markakis grounded to short. Ryan Madson in to pitch. Camargo struck out swinging. Suzuki singled to right. Albies flied to center. BRAVES 6, DODGERS 5.

TOP OF THE SIXTH: Touki Toussaint, one of my favorite baseball names of all time, in to pitch for the Braves. Kemp hit a ground-rule double to left. Bellinger grounded to second, Kemp moving to third. The Braves pull the infield in. Hernandez grounded to short, Kemp throw out trying to score. Grandal walked. Runners on first and second, two out. Puig batting for Grandal, Alex Wood up in the bullpen. Puig walked, loading the bases. Taylor, trying to hit the ball from Atlanta back to L.A., grounded to third. DODGERAS 5, BRAVES 5.

BOTTOM OF FIFTH: Ryan Flaherty, batting for the pitcher, grounded to second. Acuna struck out swinging. The crowd is very, very quiet now. Inciarte struck out looking. Buehler has retired 10 in a row. DODGERS 5, BRAVES 5.

TOP OF FIFTH: Grandal walked. When you are leading 5-2, the last thing you want to do is walk a guy. Buehler struck out looking. Taylor homered to left. Dodgers cut the lead to 5-4. Turner grounded to third. Left-hander Max Fried replaces Gausman. Muncy HOMERS TO RIGHT-CENTER. The score is tied. I love his bat drop. Machado flied to left. DODGERS 5, BRAVES 5.

BOTTOM OF FOURTH: Kurt Suzuki lined to center. Albies flied to center. Charlie Culberson struck out swinging. BRAVES 5, DODGERS 2.

TOP OF FOURTH: Kemp grounded to short. Bellinger struck out. Hernandez struck out swinging. BRAVES 5, DODGERS 2.

BOTTOM OF THIRD: Freeman grounded to Buehler. Nick Markakis flied to left. Johan Camargo struck out swinging as it appears Buehler has calmed down. It’s easy to forget that he is only 23 and this is his first postseason game. BRAVES 5, DODGERS 2.

TOP OF THIRD: Enrique Hernandez walked. Yasmani Grandal lined to center. Buehler sacrificed Hernandez to second. Taylor walked. Newcomb is not sharp tonight, so the Dodgers have a chance to come back. Kevin Gausman, who was originally going to start this game, replaces Newcomb. Justin Turner singled to left. Hernandez scored, and so did Taylor when Ronald Acuna Jr. overran the ball. Turner ends up at second on the play. Max Muncy hits for David Freese and walks. Machado struck out swinging. The Dodgers get two runs. BRAVES 5, DODGERS 2.

BOTTOM OF SECOND: Nick Markakis walked on four pitches. Johan Camargo struck out swinging. Kurt Suzuki struck out swinging. That walk seemed to anger young Buehler, who blew balls past both batters. Ozzie Albies singled to center and took second on Bellinger’s error, Markakis to third. Charlie Culberson was walked intentionally. Then Buehler walks the pitcher, Sean Newcomb, giving the Braves their first run of the series. Wow, Buehler’s command fell apart quickly. He seems over-amped for the playoffs. Acuna hit a grand slam. And this game is spiraling out of control. It is 5-0 Braves. Inciarte grounded to second. But the damage is done. BRAVES 5, DODGERS 0

TOP OF SECOND: Manny Machado walked. Matt Kemp grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. Cody Bellinger grounded to second. Newcomb looks very good so far, with his four-season fastball reaching 97. But if he relies on just that and a change-up, the Dodgers will figure him out. DODGERS 0, BRAVES 0.

BOTTOM OF FIRST: Ronald Acuna Jr. struck out swinging. Took only three pitches. Ender Inciarte flied to center. Freddie Freeman grounded to third. Quick inning for Buehler. DODGERS 0, BRAVES 0

Here we go with Game 3. Walker Buehler vs. Sean Newcomb. Pull up a chair and spend the evening with us.

TOP OF FIRST: Chris Taylor lined to center. Justin Turner singled to right. David Freese grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. DODGERS 0, BRAVES 0.

With a left-hander on the mound, manager Dave Roberts sends Joc Pederson, Max Muncy and Yasiel Puig to the bench and adds Chris Taylor, David Freese and Matt Kemp to the lineup.

Clayton Kershaw pitches in the first inning in Game 2.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Clayton Kershaw ripped a pair of towels off his left arm and hopped off the bench. He scooped up his glove and tucked his sweat-matted hair behind his ear. He spoke to no one as he bounded up the stairs. A roar from the Dodger Stadium faithful greeted Kershaw as he reached a personal milestone at 9:01 p.m. on Friday. For the first time in a playoff career that stretched back to 2008, Kershaw was about to take a start into the ninth inning.

It was all a ruse, a ploy designed to deplete the deficient roster of the Atlanta Braves in a 3-0 victory in Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

The crowd jeered when manager Dave Roberts followed Kershaw out of the dugout. Moments after Braves catcher Tyler Flowers was announced as a pinch-hitter, Roberts pounced. He called upon Kenley Jansen, forcing Atlanta to burn another player to bat in Flowers’ place. The fans showered Kershaw with cheers. Roberts heard only boos when he returned to the dugout.

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Dodgers Manny Machado hits a two-run home run against the Braves in the 1st inning .

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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TOP OF THE NINTH: Jansen is pitching. Kershaw got a well-deserved standing ovation.Dave Roberts was booed as he walked back to the dugout. Lucas Duda, batting for the pitcher, grounded to first. Acuna singled to right. Uh oh. Camargo popped to first. That’s better. Freeman struck out swinging. Dodgers win, 3-0 and take a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 is Sunday in Atlanta.

BOTTOM OF THE EIGHTH: Arodys Vizcaino pitching. Turner flied to right. Muncy struck out swinging. Kenley Jansen is warming up in the Dodger bullpen. Do they dare turn to him with Kershaw pitching so well? Machado struck out swinging. DODGERS 3, BRAVES 0.

TOP OF THE EIGHTH: Albies lined to short. Inciarte stuck out looking. This is the first time that Kershaw has ever pitched into the eighth inning in any postseason start. Culberson struck out swinging. The line for Kershaw: 8 IP, 2 hits, no walks, 3 strikeouts. 85 pitches, 63 for strikes. Cy Young stuff. DODGERS 3, BRAVES 0

BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: Hernandez popped to short. Grandal grounded to second. Kershaw walked. I’d actually rather have him not expending energy on the bases. Pederson lined to second. DODGERS 3, BRAVES 0.

BOTTOM OF SIXTH: Touki Toussaint in to pitch for Atlanta. Machado struck out swinging. Puig walked. Puig was caught stealing. Bellinger struck out swinging. DODGERS 3, BRAVES 0

After Yasiel Puig was thrown out trying to steal in the sixth, he gave a hug and a kiss to former teammate Charlie Culberson, who had tagged him out. It was so precious.

TOP OF SEVENTH: Freeman lined to right. Markakis grounded to second. Suzuki lined to center. This looks like three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw out there. He has made only 73 pitches through seven innings. DODGERS 3, BRAVES 0.

TOP OF SIXTH: Lane Adams, batting for Fried, was hit by a pitch. Acuna grounded to third, forcing Adams at second. Camargo grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. 60 pitches through six innings for Kershaw. At this rate, he could pitch a complete game in well under 100 pitches. DODGERS 3, BRAVES 0.

BOTTOM OF FIFTH: Grandal launches one into orbit, giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead. Kershaw struck out swinging. Pederson grounded to second. Turner singled to first. Left-hander Max Fried replaced Sanchez. Muncy grounded to short. DODGERS 3, BRAVES 0.

TOP OF FIFTH: Suzuki grounded to third. Albies grounded back to Kershaw. Pitch hit him in the leg, but he’s staying in the game. It would take a broken leg to get Kershaw out of this game, and I’m not even sure that would do it. Inciarte reached on an infield single to second. Culberson grounded to short, Inciarte forced at second. 55 pitches for Kershaw, 42 for strikes. DODGERS 2, BRAVES 0

BOTTOM OF FOURTH: Machado grounded to short. Puig singled to left. Bellinger flied to left-center. Hernandez lined to left. DODGERS 2, BRAVES 0.

TOP OF FOURTH: Camargo lined one off Kershaw, who picked it up and threw him out. No damage done. Freeman grounded to third. Markakis lined to left. 39 pitches through four innings for Kershaw. DODGERS 2, BRAVES 0.

BOTTOM OF THIRD: Pederson grounded to short. Turner lined to right. Muncy flied to left. Sanchez’s best inning by far. DODGERS 2, BRAVES 0.

TOP OF THIRD: Charlie Culberson grounded to third. Sanchez grounded to second. Acuna flied to left. Another easy inning for Kershaw, who seems determined to outpitch Hyun-Jin Ryu. Kershaw has made 29 pitchers through three innings, 22 for strikes. DODGERS 2, BRAVES 0

BOTTOM OF SECOND: Cody Bellinger walked. Enrique Hernandez lined to second. Bellinger stole second. Yasmani Grandal, dropped from fifth to eighth in the lineup for Game 2, fouled to third. Kershaw fouled off a couple of two-strike pitches before he struck out looking. DODGERS 2, BRAVES 0.

TOP OF SECOND: Kurt Suzuki (the only change in the Atlanta lineup tonight. He replaced Tyler Flowers). grounded to third. Oscar Albies popped to second. Ender Inciarte flied to center. Kershaw has made only 20 pitches through two innings. DODGERS 2, BRAVES 0.

BOTTOM OF FIRST: Joc Pederson doubled to right. Justin Turner grounded to first, Pederson taking third. Max Muncy struck out swinging. Manny Machado homered to left, Dodgers take a 2-0 lead! Machado homered on an 88-mph cutter. Yasiel Puig fouled to third. DODGERS 2, BRAVES 0.

It’s time for Game 2, so pull up a chair and spend some time with us. Clayton Kershaw vs. Anibal Sanchez.

TOP OF FIRST: Ronald Acuna Jr. doubled to left-center. Johan Camargo grounded to the pitcher, Acuna taking third. Freddie Freeman grounded to second, Acuna holding at third. Nick Markakis struck out looking on a 73-mph curveball. When Kershaw has that much command of his curveball this early, he can be very difficult to hit. A good sign for the Dodgers. DODGERS 0, BRAVES 0

Atlanta’s Game 2 lineup has only one change: Kurt Suzuki starts at catcher over Tyler Flowers.

The top four spots are the same, but Grandal drops to eighth in the lineup that will face Atlanta’s Anibal Sanchez.

The Atlanta Braves’ decision to start Mike Foltynewicz in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Thursday met little resistance.

Foltynewicz had established himself as the Braves’ ace. After years of waiting for him to take up the mantle, the Braves watched the 26-year-old put together an All-Star first half and finish the season tied for fifth in the NL in ERA. Foltynewicz made a strong enough statement that when manager Brian Snitker announced the news Tuesday he felt emboldened, calling Foltynewicz the Braves’ “legit first guy.”

If Foltynewicz resembled anything close to “legit” in his first playoff appearance, the moment came on one pitch in the Braves’ 6-0 loss to the Dodgers.

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Clayton Kershaw sits in the dugout before Game 1.

(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

Clayton Kershaw entered the interview room at Dodger Stadium on Thursday afternoon in a T-shirt with the collar cut into a V-neck. Sweat stains coated his cap. He had completed a workout in left field minutes earlier, hours before the Dodgers commenced their sixth straight trip to the postseason. It would be the only time Kershaw was on the field Thursday.

Hyun-Jin Ryu, not Kershaw, started Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. Kershaw was assigned Game 2 on Friday. It was the first time since 2009 Kershaw did not start the first game of the postseason for the Dodgers. The decision, announced late Tuesday, unleashed shock waves. It snatched attention. And it surprised Kershaw.

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Dodgers pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu is embraced by teammate Clayton Kershaw after pitching seven shutout innings against the Braves.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The entire stadium chanted the starting pitcher’s name in unison: “Ry-u! Ry-u! ”Blue towels waved furiously in the background. The game, and the crowd, belonged to Hyun-Jin Ryu, who finished the at-bat by uncorking a low 91-mph fastball. Ender Inciarte swung and missed.

Strike three. Seven innings, seven zeros on the Dodger Stadium scoreboard. A miracle.

The miracle wasn’t the seven scoreless innings Ryu pitched Thursday in the Dodgers’ postseason opener, a 6-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of their National League Division Series. The miracle was that he was pitching at all at this stage of the year.

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Max Muncy celebrates with Yasiel Puig after hitting a home run in the second inning.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers were in full swagger for their playoff opener against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, and you know what that means.

Sound effects and exclamation points.

Boom! Eleven minutes into the game, Joc Pederson drives a leadoff home run over the right-center field fence.

Crash! One inning later, Max Muncy gets funky with a three-run homer that disappears into the right-field pavilion.

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Max Muncy watched only a handful of Dodgers games last October. He had spent the season as a member of the Dodgers organization, but not a day as a Dodger. Unable to earn a promotion from triple-A Oklahoma City, Muncy was unsure if he would re-sign over the winter. If the playoffs aired early in the day, he caught snippets at his home outside Dallas. He skipped the late-night drama of the pennant chase.

A year later, as the lights flickered over Dodger Stadium for the first postseason game of 2018, Muncy occupied his regular place in the center of the Dodgers lineup. He had traveled from a minor league obscurity to the cornerstone of a big league lineup, and he played an integral role in a 6-0 drubbing of the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, as a collection of overshadowed figures from last season shared the spotlight.

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TOP OF THE NINTH: Alex Wood now pitching. Camargo fouled to right. Freeman struck out swinging. Markakis singled to right. Flowers reached on an infield single to first, Markakis to second. Dylan Floro now pitching. Relax folks, the game is in the bag. Albies grounded to second. Dodgers win, 6-0 and take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 2 is Friday at Dodger Stadium at 6:30 on FS1.

BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: Right-hander Chad Sobotka in the game. Bellinger grounded to first. Puig walked. Hernandez walked. David Freese hit for Ferguson. Puig and Hernandez stole third and second, respectively. Freese hit a sacrifice fly to right, Puig scoring, Hernandez to third. That has to be the biggest postseason RBI of Freese’s career. Pederson grounded to first. DODGERS 6, BRAVES 0

TOP OF EIGHTH: Caleb Ferguson now pitching for the Dodgers. Culberson grounded to short. Lane Adams, batting for Venters, struck out swinging. Acuna struck out swinging. Who will pitch the ninth? Kenta Maeda?