Atlanta, Ga.— The Los Angeles Dodgers’ seven-game winning streak came to an abrupt halt Sunday in a 4-3 defeat against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. A key factor in the loss was the performance of Dodgers right-hander Dustin May, whose sweeper pitch, once considered a potential game-changer, proved to be his undoing.

The Promise and Peril of the Sweeper

Earlier this spring, May highlighted the importance of his sweeper, stating, It’s going to be huge. Being able to land that is probably going to be my biggest thing for the whole year. However, recent outings have revealed the challenges of relying heavily on a single pitch, especially when its consistency wavers.

While May initially impressed upon his return from a nearly two-year absence, allowing just two earned runs in his first three starts, his subsequent three appearances have been marred by inconsistency, largely attributed to the sweeper’s erratic behavior.

Riley’s Two-Homer Barrage

The Braves capitalized on May’s struggles, particularly through Austin Riley, who launched two home runs off the Dodgers pitcher.Both blasts came on poorly executed sweepers.

• First Inning: With a 0-2 count, May threw a sweeper up and over the plate, wich Riley deposited into left field for a two-run homer.
• Third Inning: In a 1-1 count, May’s sweeper drifted over the outer edge of the plate, resulting in another two-run shot by Riley, giving the Braves an early 4-0 lead.

May expressed his frustration, saying, it’s pretty frustrating. Giving up two homers to him on kind of the same pitch, not really how I drew it up.

May’s Overall Performance and Adjustments

Despite the two costly mistakes, May’s overall performance showed glimpses of promise. He pitched 5 ⅔ innings, striking out six batters and allowing no other runs. I thought the execution was a little better tonight.Being able to put the ball on the inner-half and outer-half of the plate, May noted.

May has made significant adjustments following two major elbow surgeries, including reducing his fastball velocity and lowering his arm angle. These changes, while aimed at improving his health, leave little margin for error. I mean,ideally,the first one [should have been] more off the plate,definitely not up. The second one was OK, just too much plate, May explained.

Dodgers’ Comeback Attempt Falls Short

The Dodgers (23-11) mounted a late comeback,fueled by contributions from several players:

• Max Muncy: Trimmed the deficit with an RBI double in the fourth inning and a run-scoring groundout in the sixth.
• Miguel Rojas: Pinch-hitting for Michael Conforto, who is struggling with a .082 average since early April, Rojas homered off Dylan Lee in the sixth, narrowing the score to 4-3.
• Hyeseong Kim: As a pinch-runner, Kim stole second and then boldly advanced to third on a dropped third strike, showcasing the aggressive baserunning that attracted the Dodgers to him in free agency.

Manager Dave Roberts praised Kim’s instincts, saying, That was great. That was exciting. Those are things that,as he plays more and we start to learn more [about him]just shows that he’s got really good instincts. Though,Raisel Iglesias shut down the rally in the ninth,stranding Kim at third.

May’s Recent Struggles and the Rotation’s Needs

With a banged-up rotation, the Dodgers need pitchers to step up alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto. may’s recent struggles, yielding 14 runs in 16 innings over his last three outings, have been a disappointment. The inability to consistently command his sweeper remains a significant concern.

Reflecting on his opening month, May acknowledged, Ups and downs.Couple good moments. Couple really bad ones. definitely need to be more consistent. He emphasized the importance of executing his sweeper to put hitters away, a challenge he has yet to consistently overcome.