Dylan Dodd’s emergence is giving the Braves options at the trade deadline

The Braves squeaked by with yet another one-run win over the Orioles that had a little bit of everything.

The game should have been signed, sealed, and delivered in the ninth, but Ozzie Albies let a groundball go right through his legs, allowing the tying run to score and sending the game to extras. The Orioles then had a golden opportunity to steal one in the tenth, loading the bases with nobody out. However, a double play followed by a pop out meant there was going to be an eleventh inning.

Austin Riley gave the Braves the lead with a single, and then the struggling Tyler Kinley — of all people — got the job done for the save, even if it didn’t come without stress. Walt Weiss opted to load the bases with two outs, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position, so the Braves could get the matchup with backup catcher Sam Huff, who’s sporting a .329 OPS on the season. It couldn’t have worked out better, as he grounded out to third for the final out of the game.

The gutsy wins are starting to pile up, but the man who deserves a tip of the cap in what was otherwise an ugly affair is Dylan Dodd. He was once again magnificent in relief, needing just 11 pitches to cover 1.1 innings, which lowered his season ERA to 1.99 over 31.2 innings.

Dodd was an afterthought coming into the 2026 campaign. He converted to the bullpen last year and had some decent success in limited opportunities, but nobody was expecting this. He’s blossomed into somebody Walt Weiss can trust in just about every situation, and this emergence gives Alex Anthopoulos some options going into the trade deadline.

The Braves definitely need at least one reliever, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Robert Suarez, who’s been out for the last six weeks with elbow inflammation. But with Dodd stepping up as a more than reliable arm from the left side, Anthopoulos doesn’t have to solely focus on adding a southpaw. It’s probably still preferred, but there’s certainly more flexibility than existed before.

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(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)