Dodgers come up short in loss to Braves

The Dodgers played catch up all night and couldn't cut the mustard against the Braves in a 7-5 loss in Monday's series opener at Turner Field in Atlanta.

Brandon Beachy's second start off the disabled list looked a lot like his first start off the DL, which meant for another short night in his return to Atlanta for the first time in 705 days. Beachy threw 78 pitches in his 2015 debut last Saturday, then threw 82 pitches in his four innings on Monday.

He allowed a two-run home run in the first inning, a shot to center field by Nick Markakis for his first home run of the season in his 394th plate appearance of 2015.

Beachy then after two outs to open the fourth inning allowed a double, two walks (one intentional; one of opposing pitcher Matt Wisler), then another double for two more runs and a 4-0 deficit.

The Dodgers overcame that deficit their third time through the order against Wisler, who didn't allow a run through four innings. But a two-run double to center field by Howie Kendrick was followed by a two-run home run to right field by Adrian Gonzalez to tie the game at 4-4.

The home run was the team-leading 21st of the season for Gonzalez, who is 9-for-16 (.563) since the All-Star break with three home runs. He has eight home runs in his last 14 games.

But the flip side of having a starting pitcher go short is needing several outs from the bullpen, and the Dodgers had trouble finding relief on Monday night.

Adam Liberatore allowed a run on two hits in the fifth inning, then Joel Peralta allowed two runs on three hits and a walk in the sixth. Juan Nicasio had a runner reach scoring position with one out in the seventh, but managed to strand him at third base.

Wisler was able to overcome that shaky fifth inning with a scoreless sixth frame, earning his third win in four starts in July, and his fourth win in just his sixth major league start.

The Dodgers rallied in the eighth, bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of pinch hitter Scott Van Slyke, who dusted off the cobwebs for his first game action since July 11. Van Slyke singled to left, which could have loaded the bases with nobody out, but Adrian Gonzalez was sent home and was thrown out trying to score from second base by left fielder Eury Perez.

"It is one we'd like to have back for sure, Mattingly said about Gonzalez being sent home.

"We swung the bats good tonight, even when we didn't do anything," Mattingly said, "we were hitting right at people, we just couldn't stop [the Braves] in the middle innings."

The Dodgers did not score in the inning.

Against closer Jim Johnson the Dodgers loaded the bases with nobody out thanks to three singles to start the inning, but only cashed in one.

Yasmani Grandal had one of those hits in the ninth, Mattingly said that "we were not to have hit at all, we just didn't want to catch him and let him take a ball off the mask."

Notes

Justin Turner was 4-for-4, tying a career high for hits in a game. It was his fifth career four-hit game, and second this season.

Austin Barnes went 2-for-4 in his first game back in the majors.

The Dodgers are 3-7 this season when starting pitchers last four or fewer innings.

Monday particulars

Home runs: Adrian Gonzalez (21); Nick Markakis (1)

WP - Matt Wisler (4-1): 6 IP, 8 hits, 4 runs, 2 strikeouts

LP - Adam Liberatore (2-2): 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 run

Sv - Jim Johnson (7): 1 IP, 3 hits, 1 run