Late-night magic: Braves beat Dodgers, take 2-0 NLCS lead
More late-night magic has the Atlanta Braves just two wins away from the World Series.
Eddie Rosario delivered Atlanta’s second straight walk-off hit in the ninth inning, giving the Braves a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday and a commanding 2-0 lead in the NL Championship Series.
Rosario’s fourth hit of the game was a two-out single off shortstop Corey Seager’s glove after the Braves twice rallied from two-run deficits.
“These guys have always been like that,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “They’re never out.”
Rosario delivered a 105 mph scorcher up the middle on the first pitch after closer Kenley Jansen relieved. Seager tried for a backhand snag, but the ball skidded off his glove into center field.
There was no chance to get Dansby Swanson, who raced around from second with the winning run, dropping his helmet as he crossed the plate — a virtual repeat of Game 1 when Austin Riley came through with a winning hit in the ninth for a 3-2 victory.
The series resumes in Los Angeles, where Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is set for Tuesday night.
“We all have that dream, that desire to get to the World Series,” Rosario said. “That’s just what we’re going for.”
The Braves are halfway to their first World Series appearance since 1999, but they can’t celebrate just yet.
A year ago, Atlanta held leads of 2-0 and 3-1 over the Dodgers in the NLCS, only to lose the last three games of a series played in Arlington, Texas, because the pandemic. Los Angeles went on to beat Tampa Bay in the World Series, while the Braves stewed for another shot.
They rallied in the eighth off Julio Urías, who pitched three hitless innings to finish Game 7 against the Braves last October.
Seventy-three of 87 teams taking 2-0 leads in best-ofseven baseball postseason series have gone on to win.
“We were up on them 2-0 last year, so it’s like one of those things where you can’t stop now, you got to continue to apply the pressure and come out every day and get after it,” Riley said.
Seager and Atlanta’s Joc Pederson traded two-run homers — Pederson adding to his “Joctober” lore with his third homer of this postseason and first off his longtime team — before Chris Taylor put the Dodgers ahead again with a two-run, bases-loaded hit in the seventh.
But it was another night of wasted chances for Los Angeles, which went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and dropped to 2 for 18 in the series.