LOS ANGELES -- Instead of concluding the most challenging span of their schedule in celebratory fashion, the Braves blew an eighth-inning lead and suffered a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday night.

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This was nothing new for the Braves, who have lost nine straight games at Dodger Stadium, including the 2018 National League Division Series. But unlike that playoff series three years ago, this Atlanta squad seemingly had a chance to win at this iconic ballpark. And it appeared they might, until manager Brian Snitker opted to gamble an eighth-inning lead with a declining Chris Martin.

“If he would have gotten him out, you wouldn’t be asking me that question,” Snitker said after a reporter asked why Martin replaced Tyler Matzek with two outs, a runner on third, and the Braves leading 3-2 in the eighth.

Who knows how it might have unfolded had Snitker stuck with Matzek, who currently stands as one of the game’s best relievers, instead of giving the ball to Martin, who used to be one of the game’s best relievers. Even if Martin had gotten through the eighth without giving up a run, the Braves would have had to cross their fingers with closer Will Smith, who has allowed a home run to five of the past 50 batters faced and to three of the past 21 batters faced.

But thinking about what might have happened doesn’t currently do any good for the Braves, who went 2-6 while spending the past eight playing the Yankees, Giants and Dodgers. The only two wins came against the Giants, who fell behind a Dodgers club that now sits atop the NL West with MLB’s best winning percentage.

As for the Braves, they still have a two-game lead over the Phillies in the NL East.

“I really think we just played a lot of playoff baseball,” Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “I feel like the teams we played were top teams. The Yankees were hot when they came to play us. Each game, we were in it. We just didn’t get a big hit or come up with a two-out base hit.”

Actually, it seemed like the Braves might have received the only hits they needed when Eddie Rosario hit a two-run homer off Brusdar Graterol in the seventh and Swanson hit a go-ahead homer off Alex Vesia in the eighth. Those two home runs halted the frustrations the Braves felt while Max Scherzer limited them to three hits over six innings and then ended his 76-pitch outing because of a tight right hamstring.

Swanson’s 26th homer of the season and Rosario’s first since joining the Braves’ roster on Friday also backed a stellar performance by Max Fried. Solo shots by Max Muncy and Austin Barnes accounted for two of the three hits surrendered by Fried, who has posted a 1.76 ERA over his past seven starts.

“When we get down to this time of year, it kind of has that playoff feel,” Fried said. “Everyone's trying to play the best that they can and try to get into the playoffs. So, you know every pitch is magnified a little more.”

Matzek bid adieu to an 18-inning scoreless streak during his 25-pitch appearance on Tuesday night and he concluded Wednesday’s 14-pitch outing by striking out Mookie Betts on seven pitches. Snitker had originally planned to pull the lefty after he faced Muncy, who grounded out ahead of Betts, but let Matzek stay on to face the Dodgers’ right fielder.

So, after seeing the battle with Betts, Snitker called on Martin, partly because the big right-handed reliever had held Justin Turner hitless in six at-bats. Unfortunately for the Braves, those matchups came before Martin began declining this year. The veteran reliever limited opponents to a .589 OPS in 2019 and a .375 OPS in 2020, but he has a 4.97 ERA in 32 appearances since June 1.

Meanwhile, opponents have hit just .095 during the 19 innings Matzek has completed since the All-Star break.

“I didn’t like the matchup with Justin Turner,” Snitker said. “He had never gotten a hit against Martin and I think he was 3-for-8 against Matzek.”

Turner was actually 2-for-5 against Matzek, and both of those hits were recorded in 2014. But there’s no need to dwell on the past.

The Braves’ two-game advantage with 30 games remaining equals the division lead they had at this same point last year. Now, to win a fourth consecutive NL East title, they must prove they are more like the club that won 16 of 18 before going through this bumpy stretch against the game’s elite.

“I knew it was going to be a buzzsaw when you are playing the best teams,” Snitker said. “We’ve just got to circle the wagons and go out and win a series in Colorado, which is tough to do.”