ATLANTA (AP) - Alex Wood said he felt tired.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wood’s velocity was down. Roberts also thought the left-hander’s breaking ball wasn’t as sharp as normal.
All that, and Wood’s pitching line still fit right in with the standards that made him an All-Star this season.
Wood allowed one run in six innings to avenge his lone loss of the year, Chris Taylor had three hits, including a two-run homer , and Los Angeles beat the Atlanta Braves 7-4 on Thursday night.
Wood said he didn’t have arm fatigue but just felt “a little tired” following the travel from the West Coast.
“This is something I’ve dealt with over the course of my career,” he said.
Roberts said the dip in velocity was a concern and he’ll talk with Wood “just to make sure he has strength for the rest of the season.”
Wood (13-1) evened his record this season against his former Atlanta teammates. He gave up a career-high nine runs, seven earned, in a 12-3 loss to the Braves on July 21. Wood allowed seven hits in the rematch while lowering his ERA to 2.33.
Left-hander Tony Cingrani, who joined the Dodgers earlier in the day after he was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, gave up a three-run homer to rookie Ozzie Albies in the ninth. It was Albies’ first major league hit.
“I didn’t expect that one, but I’m glad I got my first knock out of the way,” Albies said. “It felt awesome.”
The Dodgers, whose nine-game winning streak ended with a 5-3 defeat Wednesday night, won two of three in the series. They are 21-3 since July 4, with all three losses coming against the Braves.
Atlanta’s only run off Wood came in the first when Freddie Freeman singled and scored on Tyler Flowers’ double to the center-field wall.
Rookie left-hander Sean Newcomb (1-6) issued seven walks, the most in any of his 10 starts, to match his seven strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. One walk was intentional. He allowed three runs, including one on a bases-loaded walk to Logan Forsythe in the third.
“I’ve got to do a better job pounding the zone,” Newcomb said.
Taylor’s 13th homer to center field off Newcomb in the fourth drove in Yasiel Puig, who walked.
Wood loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth by walking Albies and pinch-hitter Lane Adams and giving up a bloop single to Ender Inciarte, but the Braves couldn’t score. A review lasting 2 minutes, 59 seconds, confirmed Adams was out at second on Wood’s pickoff throw , and Brandon Phillips hit into a double play.
Roberts said the pickoff was “the play of the game” and Wood described it as “a game-changer, for sure.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: Roberts said LHP Clayton Kershaw (lower back strain) wants to throw off a mound but hasn’t been given the go-ahead by trainers. “I think the good thing is that physically he feels he can do more,” Roberts said. … 1B Adrian Gonzalez (herniated disk in his back) and 3B Rob Segedin (toe, wrist) began rehab assignments with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Braves: RHP Julio Teheran had no problems running before the game after leaving Wednesday night’s game with cramping in his right thigh. He is expected to make his next start. … RHP Jason Motte (back strain) could come off the 10-day DL on Friday. … Matt Adams, who left Tuesday night’s game with dizziness and a headache, had a pinch-hit groundout in the seventh.
MARKAKIS’ MILESTONE
Nick Markakis had a one-out single to left field in the fourth for his 2,000th career hit . He became the 10th active player to reach the milestone and added a double in the sixth.
ROSTER MOVE
Dodgers RHP Brock Stewart was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City to clear a roster spot for Cingrani.
MUDDY MOUND
There was steady rain in the third and fourth but no delay, other than the grounds crew being called out to work on the muddy mound and batter’s box.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Yu Darvish (6-9, 4.01 ERA with Texas) makes his much-anticipated Dodgers debut in Friday night’s series opener at the New York Mets. Darvish left Atlanta before the team on Thursday to avoid late-night travel. He was acquired from the Rangers on Monday for three prospects.
Braves: RHP R.A. Dickey (6-7, 4.01) will face the Marlins on Friday night. He is 10-3 with a 2.94 ERA in 16 career games against Miami.
___
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
Please read our comment policy before commenting.