Thanks to great performances from Zack Greinke and Tim Hudson, the series opener between the Braves and Dodgers was a pitchers duel through seven and a half innings. Then Yasiel Puig happened.
With Atlanta down 1-0, Cory Gearrin entered to pitch the bottom of the eighth. After a strikeout to start the inning, Gearrin allowed back-to-back singles to Skip Schumaker and Luis Cruz and a walk to pinch hitter Hanley Ramirez to load the bases for Puig.The Cuban phenom launched the first pitch he saw, a hanging slider in the middle of the zone, into the right field seats for his third home run in his fourth career game.
Hudson was great for Atlanta, allowing just four hits and one run (earned) while walking none and striking out five. The lone run came in the second inning, as the Dodgers led off with a single by Scott Van Slyke to bring up Andre Ethier. Ethier hit a long fly ball to right center field that was catchable but some miscommunication between B.J. Upton and Jason Heyward allowed the ball to drop in for a double.
Two batters later, Schumaker grounded out to second, allowing Van Slyke to score and make it a 1-0 game.
Greinke was equally as tough as Hudson, allowing just four hits while walking three and striking out seven in seven innings of work. Atlanta's best chance to score came in the seventh inning when back-to-back leadoff singles from Freddie Freeman and Brian McCann put runners on first and third with no outs.
Dan Uggla followed with a strikeout to bring up Ramiro Pena, who lined a ball to left field. Freeman was late tagging, but Van Slyke's throw likely would have gunned him down at the plate. B.J. Upton flied out to right to end the inning.
Jordan Schafer pinch hit for Hudson in the eighth against Kenley Jansen, and led off with a single up the middle. Andrelton Simmons followed with a pop out to center, and Schafer was stealing and failed to retouch second base before heading back to first, resulting in a double play.