Braves bounce back with win over Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — There would be no way the Braves would lose on this day.

After legendary manager and iconic figure of the organization Bobby Cox died earlier Saturday, the Braves went out and beat the Dodgers 7-2 at Dodger Stadium.

“It’s nice little tribute to Bobby,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s the least we could do, right?”

The Braves (27-13) played Saturday like many of Cox’s teams had in the 1990s and early 2000s. They built a comfy lead with a barrage of early runs, using speed and singles on this night, and got a sparkling pitching performance from Spencer Strider.

Strider may have looked like Cox-era John Smoltz at times with a fastball nipping 98 mph. He did his best Cox-era Greg Maddux impression by pouncing off the mound to grab a dribbler and then throwing a 79-mph strike to the first to begin the bottom of the fourth.

Over six innings, Strider (1-0) allowed just one hit and worked around two walks. He fanned eight and the Dodgers (24-15) didn’t have a runner reach second base with Strider on the mound.

“It’s hard to be effective and do my job if I don’t throw strikes. So did a better job of that,” Strider said in regards to his second start of the season. “Still didn’t execute all the time. Two strikes got into trouble a couple times, could have prevented that, maybe gone a little deeper. But good to be more in the strike zone.”

Said Weiss: “Spencer looked like himself. I mean, that’s as good as I’ve seen ‘Spence’ in a while. So that’s really encouraging. Great sign for us to see him throw the ball like that.”

Offensively, Atlanta got hits from eight different players and RBIs from five different bats. That was plenty of run support en route to the Braves’ first win at Dodger Stadium in their last nine tries.

They also improved to 10-3 this season after a loss.

A single run in the first on Austin Riley’s fielder’s choice with one out and the base loaded gave the Braves a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. It was the 23rd time this season the Braves had scored first.

They didn’t settle for just one in the second, getting a two-out, two-run single to left from Ozzie Albies to go up 3-0. Matt Olson, playing in his 822nd consecutive game to tie Gus Suhr for the 10th-longest streak in MLB history, lined a two-run single up the middle, putting the Braves ahead 5-0.

That was the 1,200th hit of Olson’s career.

Dodgers starter Blake Snell (0-1), in his return from the injured list, lasted just three innings and was charged with four earned runs on six hits and two walks.

Michael Harris II put the Braves ahead 6-0 in the fifth with an RBI double into the gap in right that scored Riley from first. Drake Baldwin’s RBI single in the eighth stretched the margin to seven.

Reynaldo López gave up a two-run homer to Andy Pages in the bottom of the ninth, far too little, too late for the home team.

And besides, only the loss of Cox could put a damper on Saturday’s victory for the Braves.