Braves' Bats Fall Silent In 5-0 Loss To Los Angeles

For the third straight Mike Minor start in a row, the Braves' offense failed to score while the left-hander was in the game.

This time, Atlanta didn't score at all as the Dodgers shutout the Braves 5-0 to take the series Sunday afternoon in Atlanta.

Minor scattered five hits and one run over seven innings of work, while Atlanta's offense mustered three total hits. Minor struck out two and walked none.

Chad Billingsley and Minor both held each team scoreless through the first four innings. The Braves had a great chance to score in the fourth, as Jason Heyward tripled with two outs and Freddie Freeman walked to put runners on first and third with two outs.

After the walk, Dan Uggla swung at the first pitch he saw, popping out to first base and letting Billingsley escape the jam.

Luis Cruz continued his hot hitting and put the Dodgers on the board in the fifth with his fourth homer of the year. Los Angeles followed that with back-to-back singles that put runners on first and third, but Minor coaxed a pop out and fly out to escape the jam.

In the sixth, Michael Bourn singled and stole second before advancing to third on a one out groundout from Martin Prado. Heyward, however, struck out to end the threat.

Billingsley left after the seventh with a line of 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K.

Juan Uribe entered to pinch hit to start the eighth, and Fredi Gonzalez called upon Chad Durbin to replace Minor in a one-run game. Durbin walked Uribe and a single to Shane Victorino that put runners on first and third. Heyward lost a Mark Ellis pop fly in the sun, allowing Uribe to score and make it a 2-0 game.

Ellis struck again the ninth, tripling down the left field line off of Cristhian Martinez to score three runs and make it a 5-0 game.