Dodgers-Braves: Los Angeles loses Game 4 of NLCS, falls into 3-1 hole

ARLINGTON, Texas (KABC) -- The Dodgers couldn't recapture the magic that propelled them to a record-setting win the night before and dropped Game 4 of the NLCS Thursday to the Atlanta Braves.

The 10-2 loss now leaves Los Angeles down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Game 5 is Friday at 6:08 p.m.

Pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who missed an earlier game in the series due to back spasms, started off solid, limiting the Braves to one run through the first five innings. But he faltered in the sixth and had given up four runs and seven hits by the time he was replaced.

The game was tied 1-1 until that sixth inning, when Freddie Freeman and Marcel Ozuna hit consecutive RBI doubles. Dansby Swanson added a two-run double and scored the fifth run of the sixth on Austin Riley's single.

Ozuna also has a homer for Atlanta, which is coming off Wednesday's 15-3 loss to the Dodgers.

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Braves starter Bryse Wilson allowed just one hit over six innings while striking out five. Wilson's only mistake was a third-inning homer by Edwin Rios.

The Dodgers' best shot at a comeback came late in the seventh, with the bases loaded and Will Smith at bat with two outs, the score standing at 7-2.

Smith lined it hard down the middle, where second baseman Ozzie Albies snagged it from the air to end the inning and stave off a rally.

Wind conditions at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, also played a factor.

Kershaw, as well as Atlanta's Freddie Freeman, apparently had trouble seeing early in the game because of the windy conditions.

Major League Baseball said it wanted to keep the roof open at Globe Life Field - barring rain - when the agreement was reached for the new home of the Texas Rangers to host three rounds of the playoffs in the pandemic-shortened season.

Fox reported during the telecast Thursday night that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told umpire Cory Blaser between innings that Kershaw and first baseman Max Muncy were having trouble seeing.

Freeman was reaching for his eyes after striking out swinging in the first, and Fox reported he said, "I can't see," upon returning to the dugout. The MVP candidate with two homers in the NLCS briefly tried glasses while in the field and also was shown getting eyedrops.

Freeman cleanly fielded Corey Seager's hard one-hopper to first leading off the fourth. Freeman didn't appear to be having trouble seeing when he lined out to shortstop in the fourth.

The reported wind speed at the start of the game was 6 to 15 mph. It was a blustery day in North Texas after a cold front came through.

Kershaw's uniform pants and top were flapping in the breeze, as was Atlanta right-hander Bryse Wilson's shoulder-length hair.

The roof has been open for all seven postseason games at Globe Life Field, across the street from open-air Globe Life Park that was Texas' home for 25 seasons. The first three were for LA's sweep of San Diego in the NL Division Series.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.