LAUGHER IN LOS ANGELES
Dodgers gain upper hand in division series against Braves with Game 3 rout
Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis, top, turns two as Atlanta’s Elliot Johnson slides into the bag in the third inning of L.A.’s 13-6 win Sunday night.
> DODGERS 13 > BRAVES 6
DODGERS LEAD SERIES 2-1
LOS ANGELES— Carl Crawford hit a threerun homer, Juan Uribe added a two-run shot and the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Atlanta Braves 13-6 on Sunday night for a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five NL division series.
Hanley Ramirez and Yasiel Puig each had three hits and scored three times on a big night at the plate for the Dodgers, who matched a franchise record for runs in a post-season game. Brooklyn beat the New York Yankees 13-8 in Game 2 of the 1956 World Series.
Los Angeles can advance to the NL championship series with a victory at home in Game 4 on Monday night. Ricky Nolasco pitches for manager Don Mattingly’s Dodgers against veteran Freddy Garcia.
Crawford made the play of the game when he tumbled head over heels at the low retaining wall in left field and onto his head to catch a foul ball in the eighth. The speedy leadoff man also scored three times, including once in the eighth when the Dodgers made it 13-4.
Chris Capuano won in relief of ineffective rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu.
Los Angeles rallied in the third to regain the lead for good after Atlanta tied it in the top of the inning. After that, the Braves didn’t manage much besides Jason Heyward’s two-run homer in the ninth. By then, it was way too late. Atlanta starter Julio Teheran and Ryu both made inauspicious post-season debuts in the first matchup of rookie pitchers in the playoffs since 2007. Neither stayed around long.
In addition to being shaky on the mound, Ryu made two major mistakes in the field before giving way to Capuano, who spent most of the season in the rota- tion before moving to the bullpen.
With the Dodgers owning a six-run lead in their first home playoff game since 2009, fans waved their blue souvenir towels with one hand and made chopping motions with the other in mocking Atlanta’s trademark tomahawk chop.
Teheran took the loss, giving up six runs and eight hits in 22⁄3 innings. The 22-
The Dodgers matched a franchise record for runs in a post-season game
year-old right-hander struck out five, walked one and threw a wild pitch.
Ryu allowed four runs and six hits in three innings, becoming the first South Korean-born pitcher to start a post-season game in the major leagues.
Braves reliever Alex Wood gave up four runs — none earned — and three hits in 21⁄3 innings.