Dodgers Improve to 7-0 behind Dustin May after Beating Winless Braves 3-1

The Associated Press

15:26 JST, April 2, 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dustin May pitched five strong innings after missing nearly two years, Mookie Betts hit his third go-ahead homer of the season and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the winless Atlanta Braves 3-1 on Tuesday night.

With a 7-0 mark, the defending World Series champions are off to the club’s best start since moving to Los Angeles. The only better starts in franchise history came in 1955 (10-0) and 1940 (9-0) when the team was located in Brooklyn.

The slumping Braves fell to 0-6 for the first time since opening 0-9 in 2016.

May allowed just one hit and an unearned run. He struck out six and walked three in his first start since May 17, 2023. The right-hander missed last season while rehabbing from a torn flexor tendon in his right arm. In 2023, his season ended with Tommy John revision surgery.

Anthony Banda (2-0) got the win with one inning of scoreless relief. Tanner Scott earned his second save.

Betts’ throwing error at shortstop in the second led to Atlanta’s lone run.

The center-field flags were blowing straight out on a windy night when Betts’ two-run homer just cleared the left-field wall in the sixth. Also scoring was Shohei Ohtani, who singled leading off. The 2024 NL MVP has scored in each of the first seven games.

The Dodgers have homered in six straight.

They couldn’t buy a baserunner for five innings against reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale. After Betts’ homer made it 2-1, Tommy Edman singled to knock out Sale (0-1) and scored on Will Smith’s single. The left-hander gave up four hits, struck out five and walked none.

The Braves designated 41-year-old reliever Jesse Chavez for assignment and added right-hander Zach Thompson to the roster.