*Photo from CBS Sports*
LAD wins series 4-3
In all the stories of epic game 7's across MLB playoff history, a new game has emerged: Game 7 of the NLCS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves. Cody Bellinger hit the game winning homer, Will Smith drove in a pair of runs, and the Dodgers beat the Braves by a 4-3 score to clinch their 3rd World Series appearance in the last 4 years. This time around, the Dodgers came back from a series deficit of 3-1 to secure their spot.
The Braves started the scoring in the first inning, when Marcell Ozuna hit an RBI single to left field, scoring Ronald Acuna Jr and making it a 1-0 Braves lead. In the second inning, Dansby Swanson increased the Braves lead with a solo homer to center field, making it a 2-0 lead. In the 3rd inning, Smith got the Dodgers on the board, also tying the game with a two run single to right field, making it a 2-2 game. In the 4th, Austin Riley got the Braves the lead back on an RBI single. In the 6th, Kike Hernandez tied the game at 3 with a solo homer to center field. In the 7th, Bellinger hit a solo homer to right field, putting the Dodgers ahead 4-3.
Julio Urias got the win for the Dodgers, throwing the final 3 innings of the game, all perfect innings for Urias and the Dodgers. Dustin May served as the opener, pitching the first inning, allowing the RBI single to Ozuna. Tony Gonsolin came on after that, throwing two innings, allowing two runs on two hits and 3 walks, getting just one strikeout. Blake Treinen then threw two innings, and Brusdar Graterol threw one.
Mookie Betts talked about the 3-1 series hole the Dodgers were in, saying that "This is really the first time we’ve had our backs against the wall, all season we’ve been controlling games, controlling series and whatnot. Seemed like we were getting handled early on and we were able to get a hold of ourselves and start to fight back, and it just shows you the kind of group we have. Nothing’s going to be easy, but we’ll strike fast before you can even think about it, and that’s what we did."
Hernandez, who hit the game tying homer in the 6th, said that "Everybody was expecting us to get to the World Series, we were expecting us to get to the World Series, to the point that when we were down, 3-1, we hadn’t gone through any adversity throughout the season. It was time to get it done. By then, we had nothing to lose -- they have something to lose, they shouldn’t lose this series. We took it one inning at a time and were able to pull it off. But the job’s not done. The goal isn’t to get to the World Series, it’s to win the World Series."
Chris Martin got the loss for the Braves, pitching 1 1/3 innings of relief, allowing the winning homer by Bellinger, which was the only hit Martin allowed. Ian Anderson started for the Braves, pitching 3 innings. Anderson allowed two runs on 5 hits and two walks, striking out two hitters. Tyler Matzek, Shane Greene, AJ Minter, and Mark Melancon also pitched for the Braves.
Braves manager Brian Snitker reflected on a positive season for the Braves, saying that "This hurts, but I’m proud of what these guys accomplished, I felt worse last year than I do this year, quite honestly. I feel good right now. I wanted to go to the World Series so bad. It doesn’t work out sometimes. But we did a lot of really good things organizationally and with our club this year."
Braves 1B Freddie Freeman talked about the series battle with the Dodgers, saying that "We heard it all year that the Dodgers were the best team in baseball, we took them to Game 7, and we gave them a little heart murmur in this series. We gave them all they could handle. They just made all the right plays at the right time."
The Braves head home for the offseason, while the Dodgers remain in the Texas Bubble for the World Series against the Rays. Clayton Kershaw is a favorite to start game one of the world series for the Dodgers/
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