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Written by: E. George
Published May 5, 2025 @ 2:55 PM ET
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – The Atlanta Braves snapped a losing streak against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night, salvaging the final game of a weekend series with a 4-3 victory that offered a much-needed morale boost. Atlanta had lost several previous meetings with Los Angeles.
Behind a pair of two-run home runs from Austin Riley, the Braves jumped to an early lead and held on despite mounting pressure from the National League’s top team. The Dodgers entered the game with the best record in Major League Baseball at 23-10 and were riding a seven-game winning streak.
The win allowed the Braves to avoid a season sweep, which would have been a significant psychological blow as they continued to claw their way back from a rocky start.
Atlanta opened the year with seven consecutive losses and has hovered below the .500 mark since. A promising stretch brought the Braves close to even at 14-15 before they stumbled again, dropping three straight games, including the first two in the series against Los Angeles.
Riley’s offensive display was the turning point on Sunday, as he continued what has become one of the more productive starts of his career. Despite a sluggish opening week in which he managed only three hits in 27 at-bats, the third baseman has since found his rhythm, hitting .313 over his last 27 games.
With eight home runs and 24 RBIs, Riley leads the Braves in both categories and has positioned himself as one of the league’s most impactful third basemen through the season’s first month.
Statistically, May has historically marked an upswing in Riley’s performance. His career offensive numbers trend upward as the season progresses, and this year appears to follow the same pattern.
The power-hitting third baseman now holds a .292 batting average and a .847 OPS, both strong indicators that he may be on track for another All-Star-caliber season. His performance on Sunday also elevated him to 10th place in Atlanta’s franchise home run rankings, passing David Justice.
While the Braves’ offensive consistency remains a concern, Riley’s resurgence provides a reason for optimism. Key hitters such as Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna have shown flashes of power, but the lineup has struggled to deliver across the entire series.
The anticipated return of Ronald Acuña Jr. — who is rehabbing from ACL surgery following an MVP-winning 2023 campaign — could bring additional firepower to the top of the batting order.
The Dodgers, led by a star-studded lineup that includes Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernández, have looked nearly unstoppable through the early part of the season. Although just a single victory, Atlanta’s win may serve as a measuring stick for the Braves’ ability to contend with baseball’s elite.
Atlanta now shifts focus to an upcoming four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, who enter with an 18-17 record and remain within striking distance in the National League Central. With momentum on their side and signs of life in the offense, the Braves hope Sunday’s win marks the start of a much-needed turnaround.