Friday night’s series opener was a tightly contested pitching duel that ultimately came down to one swing  and one decision by Chris Sale that he will want back.

The Braves struck first. Michael Harris II was outstanding all evening, going 4-for-4 and doing everything in his power to give Atlanta the lead it needed. Austin Riley added a key extra-base hit, going 2-for-4 with a double and the RBI that gave the Braves their only run of the night. Atlanta out-hit the Dodgers 9-5 on the evening  a number that tells the story of a team that created opportunities but could not convert them when it mattered most.

Sale was excellent for much of his seven-inning outing. He struck out seven, kept the Dodgers off-balance, and held a lineup loaded with danger to just five hits. But the damage came on a single pitch a hanging offering that Freddie Freeman turned into a home run, and a Kyle Tucker RBI double that proved the difference.

The Dodgers went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position. The Braves went 1-for-10. In a game this tight, the failure to capitalise with runners on base is the most direct explanation for Atlanta’s loss. Sale’s ERA on the night checked in at 2.57  not the work of a pitcher who let his team down. It was the work of a pitcher whose team could not score enough runs behind him.

On the mound for Los Angeles, Emmet Sheehan was sharp through 4.2 innings, striking out seven while allowing only one earned run. A strong bullpen did the rest. Alex Vesia collected the win. Tanner Scott closed it out with a save. The Dodgers needed 164 pitches across their entire staff to get 27 outs  a sign that Atlanta made them work for every inning, even if the scoreboard did not fully reflect it.