LOS ANGELES – Rookie catcher A.J. Ellis rarely gets to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He got his eighth start of the season Sunday and certainly made it count.
Ellis came through with an RBI single in the 11th inning for his first game-ending hit in the major leagues, giving Los Angeles a 5-4 victory over the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves and a split of their four-game series.
“We were running out of bodies, so we were happy we were able to get it done when we did,” Ellis said.
Pinch-hitter Russell Martin drew a leadoff walk from Jesse Chavez (0-1), advanced on Blake DeWitt’s bunt and came home when Ellis stroked a 1-2 pitch to left field for his seventh RBI.
“Chavez has got a great fastball, and I really had to respect that,” Ellis said. “So I just went up there looking for a fastball to hit. But he left a curveball a little bit higher than he would have liked, and I was fortunate to find a hole.”