Dodgers edge Brewers 4-2 in opener
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ powerful lineup went mostly quiet against the Milwaukee Brewers. Still, baseball’s best team in the regular season generated just enough offense and got plenty of help from the opposing pitcher.
Mookie Betts had two hits and an RBI and Corey Seager homered in the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory in the opener of their NL playoff Wednesday night.
The eight-time NL West champion Dodgers capitalized early in a bullpen game for the Brewers and can wrap up the best-of-three series today. Milwaukee — a playoff entrant despite a losing record — limped into the postseason as the No. 8 seed without its best starter and reliever, who are hurt.
“A walk is just as good as a hit sometimes, which we showed in the first inning,” Seager said. “You don’t always have to have the big hit to score runs.”
The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead on a leadoff double by Betts and four walks by left-hander Brent Suter in the first, tying for the most walks by a pitcher in a single inning in postseason history. Betts scored when Will Smith drew a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded. Seager walked and scored on AJ Pollock’s bases-loaded walk.
“We took our walks and scratched out some runs,” said Seager, who hit just behind Betts.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “You’d be hardpressed to find a better 1-2 in baseball.”
Suter needed 32 pitches to get out of the inning. He gave up three runs and three hits in 1 2/3 innings. He doubled his season total of five walks, and he didn’t record a strikeout.
“Nerves going on, excited to be out there, then Mookie gets that leadoff double. I missed some corners, then all of a sudden snowball effect,” Suter said. “I felt like I let the team down big-time.”
Chris Taylor doubled leading off the second and scored on Betts’ double, making it 30. Max Muncy walked with two outs and Ryan Braun caught Smith’s drive to right at the wall to end the inning, potentially saving three runs.
Braun winced as he hit the wall with his right shoulder. He left in the fifth with mid-back discomfort.
“He hurt himself Sunday in St. Louis and we tried to give it a shot today and at some point it was a no-go,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “You could call it day-to-day.”
The Dodgers could have inflicted more damage but were just 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position in the first two innings.
With the Dodgers clinging to a one-run lead in the seventh, Seager went deep to straightaway center off Freddy Peralta, who gave up just two homers during the shortened 60-game season.