HEAD TURNER
Ex-Met delivers in bottom of 9th as L.A. takes 2-0 series lead
LOS ANGELES — Justin Turner, lifelong Dodgers fan from Southern California, celebrated the anniversary of Kirk Gibson’s dramatic home run in improbable fashion.
Twenty-nine years to the day of Gibson’s storied blast that beat the A’s in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, Turner’s rocket shook Dodger Stadium on Sunday, sending the Dodgers to a 4-1 victory over the Cubs in Game 2 of the NLCS.
Turner’s three-run homer against John Lackey gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the best-ofseven series that resumes Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
“One of my earliest baseball memories was being at my grandma’s house and watching [Gibson’s home run],” Turner said. “The most important thing was helping us get another win. But [the homer] is something down the road, hopefully many years from now, I will get to tell stories about.”
Lackey, appearing in consecutive games for the first time in his career, walked Chris Taylor with two outs to set the stage for Turner. The walk-off homer was the Dodgers’ first in the postseason since Gibson’s iconic moment.
But the Dodgers have come to expect such heroics from Turner.
“I’m not saying he’s David Ortiz, but I played with David and you’re talking about big spots and coming up big,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And J.T. is that guy for us. He just has that pulse where he can kind of keep his calm and stay within the strike zone. Also, he’s not afraid to fail and wants to be in that spot.”
Turner, the former Mets infielder who was not tendered a contract following the 2013 season — he has since blossomed into one of the game’s best hitters — drove in all four runs for the Dodgers, who survived on only five hits.
“We have an opportunity to bring a championship back to L.A., and it’s been a long time,” Turner said.
As much as the night belonged to Turner, the Dodgers bullpen carried the load with four scoreless innings. In the two games, Dodgers relievers have not surrendered a run.
“Really entertaining game,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “They got us in the end. That just happens sometimes.”
Kenley Jansen drilled Anthony Rizzo in the ninth inning, ending a stretch of 22 consecutive batters retired by Dodgers relievers in the first two games of the series. But Jansen recovered to strike out Willson Contreras and retire Albert Almora Jr.
Maddon said he used Lackey with two outs in the ninth instead of Wade Davis because his closer was only available for one inning and the manager wanted him in a save situation.
Jon Lester was removed after 4 2/3 innings, after issuing his fifth walk of the night. The veteran lefty allowed one earned run on three hits, in an effectively wild performance. Carl Edwards Jr. replaced Lester and struck out pinch-hitter Chase Utley to keep it 1-1.
Turner slapped an RBI single earlier in the inning to tie the game. Charlie Culberson — the starting shortstop with Corey Seager sidelined for the NLCS with back discomfort — doubled leading off the inning before Turner delivered with two outs.
Rich Hill was removed after allowing one earned run on three hits and one walk over five innings. It was the second straight game in which Roberts chose to pinch hit for the pitcher in the fifth — a night earlier Clayton Kershaw was removed after five for a pinch hitter.