Atlanta Braves jumped on Blake Snell in his season debut for Los Angeles Dodgers en route to 7-2 victory.
The Atlanta Braves punched back.
With the theatrics and giddiness that came with the Saturday matchup between these two playoff potential teams, it was Atlanta that pulled through for a lopsided 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Blake Snell Comes up Short in Season Debut
Not many expected to see southpaw Blake Snell taking the mound in early May.
Snell, who made three rehab outings down in the minors, was slated for his fourth — and presumably last — rehab outing down with Single-A Ontario.
Just as the Dodgers were prepping for their series opener against the Braves on Friday, Los Angeles rerouted Snell's buildup and shot him up to make his season debut instead.
To make room for Snell to make his debut, the Dodgers placed right-hander Brock Stewart on the Injured List with a left foot bone spur.
In his first start since Game Seven of the 2025 World Series, Snell was unable to find his footing on the mound against one of the best offenses in baseball.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hoped that the southpaw could be at five innings and 75 pitches, but Snell did not reach the inning threshold, recording just three innings and 77 pitches.
May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (7) throws to the plate during the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. -- © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images From the jump, Snell ran into some trouble as he found himself in a bases-loaded situation with no outs in the first inning.
Luckily, Snell limited the damage to just one run. But he wouldn't be so savvy in his second inning of work.
The Braves curated another bases-loaded situation on Snell and capatilized.
Ozzie Albies dug down enough to dig up fossils to produce a two-run single to left field. The ever-so-dangerous Matt Olson would follow that up with a two-run single of his own, and Atlanta capped the second inning with a five-spot.
Roberts let Snell go out for one more inning. But that would be all she wrote on his season debut.
May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (7) talks with manager Dave Roberts (30) in the dugout in the fourth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. -- © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Dodgers Offense Unable to Produce Anything Against Spencer Strider
The rollercoaster continues for this Dodgers offense.
Los Angeles had a true testing on the opposing end of the mound as Atlanta sent out right-hander Spencer Strider.
Strider, coming off his own season debut in his last start in which he was barreled for three earned runs against the Colorado Rockies, bounced back against the defending champs.
Strider shut out the top-heavy Dodgers lineup for six innings, only giving up one hit while striking out eight and giving up two walks. That lone hit came in the first inning off the bat of Will Smith.
May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider (99) throws to the plate during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. -- © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The Dodgers were able to get some runs on the board, as Andy Pages launched a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth. That long ball marks his ninth of the season, tying Max Muncy for the team lead.
What's Next?
With the loss, the Dodgers fall to a 24-15 record and have just a one-game lead in the National League West Division over the San Diego Padres.
Los Angeles will send out Justin Wrobleski for the Mothers Day rubber match as the Dodgers look to secure the series against Atlanta.
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