*Photo from the New York Post*
Atlanta leads series 3-1
After a 4 hit walk off performance in game two of the NLCS, Eddie Rosario continued his legend by starring again. Rosario hit two home runs, Freddie Freeman homered, and the Atlanta Braves routed the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-2 on Wednesday night.
The win gives the Braves a 3-1 series lead in what is so far feeling eerily similar to the trajectory of last season's NLCS between the Braves and Dodgers. For Atlanta's sake, they are hoping that what happened last year, when they blew a 3-1 series lead, doesn't happen again. They want that world series.
Dodgers starter Julio Urias talked about the series deficit, saying that "We’re a good team with great players, great talent. So the mentality stays the same. Tomorrow we need to come in and try to win, then go to Atlanta and do that there, too. We did it last year, why not this year?"
In the second inning, Rosario and Adam Duvall got the party started with back to back solo home runs to give the Braves a 2-0 lead early on. In the 3rd inning, Freeman cranked a solo home run to right field, and Joc Pederson added an RBI single, doubling the lead and making it 4-0 Braves. In the top of the 5th inning, Adam Duvall hit a sac fly to give the Braves a 5-0 lead halfway through the game.
In the bottom of the 5th inning, AJ Pollock got the Dodgers on the board with a two run single, making it a 5-2 game, with the Braves still in front. It stayed the same until the 9th, when Freeman hit an RBI double to make it a 6-2 lead. Rosario, just a double shy of the cycle, hit a 3 run home run to right field to make it a 9-2 lead for the Braves.
Rosario said of his two homer performance that "As soon as I hit that first home run I just thought to myself, ‘Wow, I feel amazing right now.' So I kind of just carried that confidence into my other at-bats going forward. I’ve been using that bat that I hit for the cycle with and it has not disappointed. I had that double remaining and I’m like, ‘Man, this bat has not let me down yet.' As soon as I hit that second one out, I go, `Oh well, there goes the double.'"
Instead of doubling, which would have made him the second player in baseball history to hit for the cycle in a playoff game, Rosario instead homered, which made him the second player in Braves history to hit two home runs and have at least 4 hits in a playoff game, joining Marcell Ozuna in team history.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Rosario that "Eddie has been in the moment here. He’s liked that postseason play for sure. He’s had really just great at-bats. I looked up and told Walt Weiss, 'He’s a double shy of the cycle again' and then he hit a homer."
Drew Smyly got the win for the Braves, pitching 3 1/3 innings in relief of opener Jesse Chavez. Chavez went for the first inning, followed by Smyly, who allowed the two run single to Pollock in the 5th. Chris Martin then finished the inning for Smyly, followed by scoreless appearances from AJ Minter, Tyler Matzek, and Will Smith.
Urias got the loss in his start for the Dodgers, allowing 5 runs on 8 hits and two walks, striking out 3 hitters in 5 innings pitched, falling to 0-1 this series. Tony Gonsolin pitched two innings at the end of the game, and allowed the other 4 runs to score. Phil Bickford and Justin Bruihl each added scoreless appearances out of the bullpen.
Game 5 is on Thursday night in Los Angeles, with game one starter Max Fried taking the mound for the Braves, with the Dodgers going with a bullpen game as they look to stay alive in the playoffs.
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