The Los Angeles Dodgers lost Game 1 of a very important series against the Atlanta Braves, but they almost forced extra innings.
Trailing 4-3 in the top of the ninth inning, Shohei Ohtani led off the frame with a triple. The ball traveled 379 feet with an exit velocity of 102.6 mph. It was the fifth hardest-hit ball of the night and had the furthest distance traveled. However, it was not a homer.
Ohtani was left stranded at third base after Raisel Iglesias struck out Freddie Freeman, got Mookie Betts to ground out, intentionally walked Max Muncy and got Tommy Edman to fly out. Ohtani put charge into the ball to lead off the inning, and it would have been a home run in 28 other ballparks.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, they were playing in Atlanta and not at home. Truist Park and PNC Park in Pittsburgh are the only ballparks in the big leagues that would have held that ball inside the ballpark.
Still, the Dodgers had a chance to tie the game with Ohtani at third base with no outs. However, Freeman and Betts failed to put a ball into play to the outfield, which would have allowed Ohtani to score on a sacrifice fly.
This series could end up playing a huge role in deciding which of these teams can secure a bye for the postseason. The Braves took game one, but the Dodgers will have Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound to try to win the final two games.