Dodgers Beat Braves In Wild Fashion Behind Ryu, Puig

Puig's solo shot is his fourth homer in five games

The Dodgers won 2-1 in extra innings on Friday against the Braves behind another great performance from Hyun-Jin Ryu, a Yasiel Puig home run and a wild pitch.

Once again the Dodger bats fell flat, requiring a great start from their starting pitcher. Luckily Hyun-Jin Ryu fought to keep them in the game throwing 7.2 innings on 112 pitches, giving up one earned run, six hits, and one walk with six strikeouts.

He left the game at a 1-1 tie, and received a no-decision.

In his last three starts Ryu has pitched 24 innings, allowing three earned runs, 14 hits, and just three walks, while striking out 17. In those starts 74.6 percent of his pitches were strikes versus 65 percent in his first nine starts.

With this increase in command, Ryu has put together his longest outings of the seasons in his last three starts. He is growing more consistent and is giving the Dodgers a dominant top three to their rotation.

The Dodgers only had four hits before they went to extra innings on Friday, and of course the only one that mattered came from Yasiel Puig. A sixth-inning solo-shot to the left field bleachers to tie up the game at 1-1.

As Puig Mania continues he is now hitting .421/.450/1.105 with four home runs in five games and 10 RBIs.

He also earned his first career walk in the eighth inning with Ramon Hernandez on third base. The Braves chose to face Mark Ellis instead and he promptly flied out.

If walking Puig becomes a trend the Dodgers are going to need to put some protection behind Puig, because the Dodgers usual hitters in the second slot, Mark Ellis, Skip Schumaker, Nick Punto, will not get the job done most of the time.

The bullpen kept the game tied for 2.1 innings with appearances from Paco Rodriguez, Kenley Jansen and Brandon League.

Jansen threw 1.1 innings with two strikeouts. Since May 25th Jansen has thrown 8.2 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts.

League got the win despite giving up a double in the 10th inning. In his last seven appearances he has earned four saves and two wins, and has allowed runs to be scored just once.

In the 13 games before that, 13 runs were scored with League on the mound. He still isn't a great closer, but he is making some improvements.

The Dodgers won the game in the bottom of the 10th on a walk-off wild pitch. Don Mattingly pinch ran Skip Schumaker for Ramon Hernandez, and in the next at bat Anthony Varvaro threw a wild pitch easily scoring Schumaker and causing a mob-celebration at home plate.

The Dodgers will at least split with the Braves and have won 11 of their last 15 games at home. On Saturday, Stephen Fife faces Kris Medlen in an attempt to take the four-game series from Atlanta.

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