The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped Game 1 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) to the Atlanta Braves in a 5-1 loss after a four-run ninth inning from the Braves.

The game was a pitching duel through its first eight innings, but the Braves managed to crack things open in the top of the ninth and pile on four runs to take control of the game with a 5-1 lead.

The Dodgers failed to respond in the bottom of the inning and went on to lose game one.

Walker Buehler got the start on the mound for the Dodgers while the Braves had trotted out their ace Max Fried.

Both pitchers only gave up only one run in their appearance, each on a solo home run.

Freddie Freeman went deep in the game’s opening inning with a solo home run to right center field, but Buehler didn’t let the score shake him and managed to settle in.

Fried was scoreless through four innings before Kike Hernandez homered off of him to lead off the fifth inning for the Dodgers and to tie the game at 1-1.

A pair of back-to-back singles from Braves Travis d’Arnaud and Ozzie Albies to start the sixth inning was enough for Dave Roberts to make the call to end Buehler’s appearance, despite protests from Buehler at the mound.

Buehler had reached 100 pitches on the night at that point, his highest mark for the season, even as he continued to battle with blisters on his pitching hand.

Brusdar Graterol took over for Buehler and managed to close out the inning with no runs scored.

Fried was able to make it through the sixth for his team, but from that point the game was in the hands of each team’s bullpen.

Dustin May threw a scoreless seventh but had to hand the ball off to Victor González in the eighth after he put him in a jam with the bases loaded. González delivered and closed out the inning before he was relieved by Blake Treinen in the ninth, but that’s when things fell apart for L.A.

A leadoff homer to Austin Riley broke the tie, giving the Braves a 2-1 lead. Ronald Acuna followed the score up with a double and was driven home himself two batters later on a Marcell Ozuna RBI single with a line drive to right field to expand the Braves lead to 3-1.

Treinen was pulled after the second score and replaced with Jake McGee, who gave up a two-run homer to Albies before he was able to close out the inning with the Braves now in possession of a commanding 5-1 lead.

Unlike other times in the Dodgers past, there was no magic bottom of the ninth rally and the Dodgers now find themselves down 0-1 in the series.

On Tuesday the team announced that Clayton Kershaw is dealing with back spasms and would no longer start Game 2, now rookie Tony Gonsolin is slated to get the start. The Braves are expected to start their own rookie, Ian Anderson, who has yet to give up a run in his two playoff starts.

With no days off under the 2020 playoff format, there is less opportunity for a hampered Kershaw to get rested, so his availability further in the series is certainly in question.

For now, the focus remains on avoiding going down 2-0 in the series, with Game 2 scheduled to start Tuesday afternoon at 3:05 p.m.

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