Dodgers storm back
DODGERS SCORE 11 RUNS IN FIRST INNING IN GAME 3
The Los Angeles Dodgers were already having a grand time before Max Muncy’s big slam capped the highestscoring inning in a major league playoff game.
That new ballpark in his home state of Texas where the Dodgers hope to keep playing right through the World Series suddenly doesn’t seem too big anymore, and they are right back in the National League Championship Series after a 15-3 rout of the Atlanta
Braves on Wednesday night.
Muncy’s slam off Grant Dayton capped an 11-run first inning when Los Angeles benefitted from a gamestarting replay challenge, hit three home runs and had nine consecutive batters reach base after two outs. The Dodgers set franchise postseason records for runs and home runs with five, cutting their NLCS deficit to 2 games to 1.
“It's pretty cool. Not too many things that are cooler than that,” Muncy said. “But the biggest thing to me is our team got a W and got us back on track.”
Joc Pederson hit a threerun homer off starter Kyle Wright to start his four-hit night, and Edwin Rios went deep on the next pitch. Corey Seager had a pair of RBI hits in the opening burst, then added a solo homer in the third as the Dodgers built a 15-0 lead — the first team with that many runs in the first three innings of a postseason game.
Winner Julio Urias, made his first post-season start and improved to 3-0 in these playoffs, striking out five while allowing one run and three hits over five innings. He walked the first two batters but no more.
Atlanta’s miserable start was eerily similar to the Braves’ flop in Game 5 of last year’s Division Series against St. Louis, when they gave up a 10-run first inning at home in a season-ending start by Mike Foltynewicz.
Manager Dave Roberts said Clayton Kershaw will start Game 4 for the Dodgers, two nights after the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner was scratched because of back spasms. Bryse Wilson makes his post-season debut as the third rookie righthanded starter for Atlanta in this series in what will be his first appearance since the final day of the regular season on Sept. 27.