LOS ANGELES — The Atlanta Braves' first cross-country trip this year will also be their last until a seven-game swing in July that will take them back out West and lead right up to the MLB All-Star break.
Right now, they could use a break themselves.
Shohei Ohtani went 4-for-4 with two home runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Braves 5-1 on Sunday afternoon, completing a sweep of a three-game set between teams that entered the series as National League division leaders.
The Dodgers (23-13) remain just that with a 5 1/2-game edge on the San Diego Padres in the NL West, a division Los Angeles won the past two years and in 10 of the past 11 seasons.
The Braves are six-time reigning champions in the NL East, but after falling to 20-12, they find themselves chasing the Philadelphia Phillies. Atlanta entered this past week without back-to-back losses in 2024, but the Braves went 1-2 against the Seattle Mariners before heading to Dodger Stadium, and they have now lost six of their past eight games overall dating to last weekend's series win against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park.
The American League West-leading Mariners' two wins were by one run each, and the Dodgers needed 11 innings to pull off a 4-3 victory in Friday's opener, but Atlanta was outscored 16-3 over the final two games.
Atlanta designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, batting fifth, was 2-for-4 and went deep Sunday for his 10th home run of the season -- but the top four spots in the lineup were a combined 1-for-14 with two walks while striking out four times. Matt Olson, batting cleanup, had the hit in that group, and Adam Duvall and Orlando Arcia added a single apiece as Atlanta totaled five hits Sunday.
The Braves have scored three runs or less in six of their past eight games, and they didn't advance a runner past first base on Sunday until Ozuna's homer in the seventh.
Atlanta was an offensive juggernaut last year, leading the majors in most hitting categories -- including tying the MLB record for single-season home runs with 307 -- but the start to this season had been slower for some of the biggest bats in the lineup even before the recent slump.
"We're in a little bit of an offensive rut, that's all there is to it," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "It's one of those things where if we only go through it one time this year, we'll be lucky."
Meanwhile, the Dodgers, who have won four straight games and 11 of 13 since a 12-11 start, are on the upswing.
Ohtani launched a hanging curveball from Braves left-hander Max Fried 412 feet for a two-run homer over the center-field fence in the first inning. The two-time AL MVP, who is in his first season with the Dodgers after previously starring for the Los Angeles Dodgers, added a single in the third and another in the sixth before leading off the eighth with a 464-foot blast off A.J. Minter deep into the bleachers beyond left-center field.
"He just keeps doing things that we just hadn't seen haven't seen before," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the 29-year-old from Japan. "That's deep. People don't hit the ball out there, whether you're left-handed or right-handed."
It was Ohtani's first multihomer game with the Dodgers and the 17th of an MLB career in its seventh season. His four hits also tied a career high. His 10 homers this season are tied with Ozuna for the MLB lead.
"I just feel like we're overall playing really well," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. "So that's really helping me have quality at-bats. Just feeling good overall."
Teoscar Hernandez added a two-run homer and James Paxton took a shutout into the seventh for the Dodgers. Paxton (4-0) piched 6 2/3 innings, allowing all five hits by the Braves while striking out three batters and walking two.
Paxton retired 16 of his first 18 batters to open the game and delivered his longest start since last June 30, when he was pitching for the Boston Red Sox.
"I felt great," Paxton said. "I finally felt some rhythm out there. I've been working hard between games here trying to figure it out. Just feels good to make some progress."
Blake Treinen pitched a scoreless eighth for the Dodgers in his first appearance since the 2022 postseason. Michael Grove retired the side in order in the ninth.
Fried (2-1) allowed four hits and four runs, walked three batters and struck out seven. But he did go seven innings, which was a plus for the Braves after Saturday starter Bryce Elder lasted just 3 1/3.
The Braves have Monday and Thursday off this week, squeezing in a two-game interleague series against the Red Sox on Tuesday and Wednesday before heading to New York for a weekend series against the Mets, a division rival.
Atlanta right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (2-1, 1.50 ERA) is the scheduled starter of Tuesday's matchup, while Boston is expected to go with right-hander Kutter Crawford (2-1, 1.56).