Surprises keep coming in championship series
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy strikes out in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, an 87 Atlanta victory as the Braves took a 20 series lead. In the AL, it’s all Rays, all the time as Tampa Bay took a 30 series lead on Houston with a 52 victory.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Ozzie Albies homered into the Braves’ bullpen in the ninth inning for the second straight night, and Mark Melancon once again grabbed the ball on the fly.
Atlanta had a fiverun lead at the time. By the time the reliever went to the mound, the lead was down to two. Melancon held on once again.
Freddie Freeman also homered for the second night in a row, and the streaking Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 87 Tuesday night to take a 20 lead in the National League Championship Series.
Atlanta became just the fourth team in majorleague history to begin a postseason 70 on a night made more remarkable by Melancon’s bullpen grab.
“That’s more home runs than I’ve caught my entire life, let alone one season,” Melancon said. “Hopefully, tomorrow night is three in a row.”
Atlanta led 70 in the seventh but the lead had dwindled to 86 when Melancon replaced Josh Tomlin with two outs in the bottom of the ninth after Corey Seager’s RBI double and Max Muncy’s tworun homer.
Albies extended the game with a fielding error on Will Smith’s grounder to second, and reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger hit an RBI triple. Melancon induced AJ Pollock to ground out to third, ending the 4hour, 12minute game.
“I didn’t feel good with a big lead because these guys are too powerful, and that’s a good ballgame to win. They all are now,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “We kind of shot ourselves in the foot there at the end. Melancon did a great job coming in.”
Rookie Ian Anderson extended his postseason scoreless streak in an abbreviated start as the Braves moved two wins shy of their first World Series appearance since 1999. All previous 14 teams to win the first two games of a bestofseven NLCS went on to claim the pennant.
“They’re not going to give up. We have to treat tomorrow like the first game of the series and come out strong,” Melancon said. “There’s no reason for either club to take their foot off the gas. ... Nobody has won anything yet.”
Freeman put the NL East champion Braves ahead to stay with a tworun homer in the fourth off rookie Tony Gonsolin, a St. Mary’s alum who got the start after threetime NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw was scratched because of back spasms. Freeman added an RBI single as part of a fourrun outburst an inning later.
Game 3 is Wednesday night, when 24yearold playoff veteran Julio Urias starts for the Dodgers, seeking to win their third pennant in four seasons. Kyle Wright, another rookie righthander, is on the mound for the Braves, who have outscored opponents 3712 in the playoffs.
“This team’s got a lot of fight. We’ve done it all year,” Seager said. “We were one swing, one anything away from tying that ballgame and going into extras. This is a long series. We’re looking up to the challenge.”
Freeman was hit on his right elbow by an Alex Wood pitch in the eighth and was shaken up but stayed in the game.
“Stung him pretty good, and he lost feeling,” Snitker said. “But I think after he got through that inning and came back in, he got all of his strength back. He should be OK.”
Anderson allowed one hit and struck out five, but walked five while throwing 85 pitches in four innings.
“We had a good game plan, and in the playoffs, you just have to keep guys from scoring and we were able to do that,” Anderson said. “As long as we keep winning ballgames here. … It’s good to be up 20, and we get back to work tomorrow.”