For the first time since June 9, Dodgers utility infielder/outfielder Chris Taylor was not in the Dodgers starting lineup for Sunday’s series finale with the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta.

…not in the starting lineup.

But with his team trailing 1-0 in the top of the seventh inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called upon the 31-year-old Virginia Beach, VA native and fifth-round draft pick in 2012 by the Seattle Mariners out of the University of Virginia to pinch hit for his replacement left fielder, 32-year-old Eddy Alvarez.

All Taylor did was get a base hit to right in the seventh inning, a base hit to left in the ninth inning, and a game-winning RBI double off the glove of Braves third baseman Austin Riley in the eleventh inning in the eventual and exciting 5-3 Dodgers win to take two of three from the Braves, with Taylor going 3-for-3 … as a non-starter.

“It was a fun series,” Taylor said postgame. “Obviously, Freddie (Freeman) coming in here, the crowd welcoming him with open arms, seeing that, that was good to see. He’s done so much for this organization. … It was just a good series win for us.”

All Freeman did in the three games against his former teammates was go 4-for-12 (.333) with a double and three RBI.

“It’s just two really good teams, well-balanced,” Freeman told reporters after the game. “It’s fun. But when you compete, we ended up playing a four and a half-hour ballgame because of it. I know the fans love watching games like that, too, because this is good baseball all around.”

“That was quite the game, quite the series. That was a heavyweight battle,” echoed Roberts. “The way they deployed pitching, we deployed pitching, and just every play felt like a postseason game, it really did.”

Of course, to win in the eleventh inning, you’ve got to get to the eleventh inning, and the way the Dodgers did so was poetic.

Trailing 2-0 with two outs in the top of the ninth, Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux got the first of what would be three consecutive hits off of former Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen to tie the game 2-2 and give Jansen his fourth blown save with his new team. The game-tying run came on a clutch two-RBI single by Dodgers newcomer Trayce Thompson off the glove of Braves first baseman Matt Olson … on a 1-2 count.

Although the game was carried on ESPN instead of the Dodgers flagship station SportsNet LA, if you missed this one, you missed what was arguably the best game of the 2022 regular season.

…so far.

Play Ball!

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