Atlanta left-hander Sean Newcomb came within one out of a no-hitter, and the Braves posted a 4-1 win over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday at SunTrust Park.
After taking a close 1-2 pitch for a ball, Los Angeles shortstop Chris Taylor ended the no-hit bid with a clean single to left field with two outs in the ninth inning.
Newcomb, who threw 134 pitches, was immediately replaced by Dan Winkler. The reliever allowed Taylor to take second on indifference and permitted an RBI single to Manny Machado to end the shutout.
The 25-year-old Newcomb (10-5) was trying to become the first Atlanta pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Kent Mercker on April 8, 1994, at Los Angeles. It would have been the 15th no-hitter in franchise history.
Newcomb struck out eight and issued one walk, to Yasiel Puig to start the sixth inning. There were no other close calls, although center fielder Ender Inciarte made a nice running catch on a fly ball by Enrique Hernandez.
It was the second straight quality start for Newcomb since the All-Star Game. He allowed one run over six innings against Miami on July 23.
The win halted Atlanta's four-game losing streak and prevented the Dodgers from sweeping the Braves in a four-game series for the first time since 1990.
The Braves, who had scored only seven runs in the first three games of the series, scored twice in the first inning. Nick Markakis doubled home Freddie Freeman, then scored on Kurt Suzuki's double.
Markakis extended the lead to 4-0 in the third inning when he hit his 11th homer, a two-run shot to right-center field.
Ross Stripling (8-3) struggled for his second straight start and took the loss. He worked only four innings and allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk, striking out five. Stripling allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Phillies in his previous start.
The Dodgers' bullpen was effective again. Daniel Hudson and Erik Goeddel each threw two scoreless innings.
Atlanta's most recent bid for a no-hitter came from Mike Foltynewicz on June 30, 2017, at Oakland. He lost it on a leadoff homer in the ninth inning.
--Field Level Media
LA Dodgers | Atlanta | |
Ross Stripling | Player | Sean Newcomb |
Loss | W/L | Win |
4.0 | IP | 8.2 |
5 | Strikeouts | 8 |
7 | Hits | 1 |
9.00 | ERA | 1.04 |
LA Dodgers | Atlanta | |
Manny Machado | Player | Nick Markakis |
1 | Hits | 3 |
1 | RBI | 3 |
0 | HR | 1 |
1 | TB | 7 |
.250 | Avg | .750 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
LA Dodgers | 2 | 0 | 2 | .069 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Atlanta | 8 | 1 | 14 | .250 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |