Crew on cruise control
Brewers take series lead behind stingy Chacin, bullpen
LOS ANGELES — Jhoulys Chacin combined with four relievers on a five-hitter, Orlando Arcia hit a two-run homer and the Brewers beat the Dodgers 4-0 on Monday to take a 2-1 lead in the NL Championship Series.
The Dodgers loaded the bases against Jeremy Jeffress in the ninth inning, but the struggling closer shut the door. He struck out Yasmani Grandal and pinch-hitter Brian Dozier to complete the Brewers’ third shutout in six playoff games this year.
Ryan Braun had an early RBI double off rookie Walker Buehler, who struck out eight in seven innings. Travis Shaw tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the sixth. Arcia connected for his third postseason homer in the seventh.
“I love just the emotion of these games, the adrenaline everyone is able to play with,” Braun said.
Chacin scattered three hits over 51⁄3 innings before giving way to Corey Knebel, who worked 12⁄3 perfect innings and struck out his last four batters.
With a runner on second and the Brewers nursing a 2-0 lead, Knebel got Manny Machado to ground out before whiffing Cody Bellinger to end the sixth. The right-hander then fanned Yasiel Puig, Grandal and Enrique Hernandez in the seventh.
Joakim Soria retired Chris Taylor on a foul popup for the first out of the eighth. Josh Hader, who didn’t pitch in Game 2 after tossing three scoreless innings in the opener, struck out pinch-hitters David Freese and Matt Kemp to end the eighth.
Justin Turner singled and Machado doubled to start the ninth for the Dodgers. With one out, Puig walked, but Brewers manager Craig Counsell stayed with Jeffress, who came through.