The Chicago Cubs sneakily boast one of the more balanced rosters in the National League. The Detroit Tigers are coming off a supernatural-like second-half to the 2024 MLB season, have a reigning American League pitching Triple Crown winner and are brimming with promise. And the Atlanta Braves are a consistent force who happen to have the reigning NL pitching Triple Crown winner. The Los Angeles Dodgers have vanquished them all.
On Tuesday, the juggernaut accomplished something that no defending champion had done since Babe Ruth swung a bat, beating the Atlanta Braves 3-1 to improve to 7-0 on the season. The victory also earns the Dodgers their best start since moving out west in 1958, per Michael J. Duarte of NBC Los Angeles.
Mookie Betts, a returning right-hander help the Dodgers stay undefeated
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Less than a month after incurring an illness that caused him to lose almost 20 pounds and miss the Tokyo Series, star shortstop Mookie Betts once again came through with a big swing of the bat. Following an early error that resulted in the ice-cold Braves’ only run of the game, he hit a 369-foot home run to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The future Hall of Famer’s clutch dinger comes just four days after he launched a walk-off three-run homer versus the Tigers. He has quickly recovered from his previously feeble condition. Betts was not the lone hero in Chavez Ravine, however. Dustin May took the mound for the first time since May of 2023 and splendidly tossed five innings of one-hit ball. Will Smith added an RBI and has now recorded a hit in all seven regular season games (.471 batting average).
Beyond those standout performers, there is a clubhouse filled with valuable ballplayers, including global phenomenon Shohei Ohtani. Everything is clicking right now. Even with Freddie Freeman out of the lineup due to a re-aggravated ankle injury, the Dodgers find ways to outlast the competition. They will ask Blake Snell to lead them to win No. 8 in Wednesday’s series finale versus the Braves.
Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints, providing a unique writing voice due to his in-depth knowledge of New York sports. Alex resides in Connecticut after receiving his journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island.
