Dodgers and Braves take upper hand
WASHINGTON: The Los Angeles Dodgers exploded for seven runs in the sixth inning on Sunday on the way to a 10-4 victory over the Washington Nationals and a commanding lead in their Major League Baseball play-off series.
The Dodgers, trying to get back to the World Series for a third straight year after falling to the Houston Astros in 2017 and the Boston Red Sox last year, lead their best-of-five National League Division Series 2-1.
Justin Turner’s three-run home run capped the sixth-inning outburst — which began with the Dodgers trailing 2-1 — that included two-run doubles from catcher Russell Martin and pinchhitter Enrique Hernandez.
The Dodgers became the first team in major league history to score so many runs in one play-off inning with two outs and two strikes.
“You don’t plan for seven-run innings,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the game.
The winners of the series will take on either the Atlanta Braves or the St Louis Cardinals in the NL Championship Series with a World Series berth at stake.
The Braves rallied with three runs in the ninth inning to beat the Cardinals 3-1 in St Louis on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in their series.
The Braves, stymied all day by St Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright, broke through against Cardinals closing pitcher Carlos Martinez.
Josh Donaldson got the rally going with a double to start the ninth.
After two outs and an intentional walk to catcher Brian McCann, Dansby Swanson tied the game with a double to left field that plated one run.
RESULTS
(best-of-five Division Series)
National League
At St Louis: Atlanta 3 Cardinals 1 (Atlanta lead series
2-1)
At Washington: Dodgers 10 Nationals 4 (Dodgers lead series 2-1)