This one was over early as the Dodgers scored 11 first-inning runs en route to a 15-3 victory in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Braves still hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Here’s what you need to know about the loss.
Big inning
The Dodgers sent 14 batters to the plate in a 32-minute first-inning marathon and had seven hits, including three home runs, three walks and a hit batter. They didn’t stop hitting. They hit home runs in the second and third inning, giving them five before recording 15 outs. After three innings, the Braves had surrendered more runs (15) than they had in the previous seven games combined. (13).
Déjà vu
The 14 batters in the first inning ties for the most in the first inning of a playoff game, matching what the Cardinals did to the Braves in Game 5 of last year’s NLDS.
Save the bullpen
Credit must be given to Huascar Ynoa. The pitcher entered the game with two outs in the third inning with the Braves trailing 15-0 after Kyle Wright (two-thirds of an inning, seven earned runs) and Grant Dayton (two innings, eight earned runs). Faced with taxing the bullpen to finish the game, Ynoa pitched four innings, a career-high, and allowed only one hit. He threw 92 pitches to get the Braves into the seventh inning.
A bright spot
Cristian Pache hit the first home run of his career with a third-inning blast. The outfielder has been pressed into action following the injury to Adam Duvall. The 21-year old got his first career RBI in Game 2. Pache joined Andruw Jones, Brian McCann and Ronald Acuna and the only Braves to hit a postseason home run before turning 22.
Substitutions
In the fourth inning, trailing 15-1, the Braves started to go to the bench. Pablo Sandoval replaced Freddie Freeman at first base. Tyler Flowers pinch-hit for Travis d’Arnaud in the third inning and remained in the game at catcher. Charlie Culberson hit for Ronald Acuna in the fifth inning and took over in right field.
Near record
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers had a chance at the record for the largest all-time margin of victory in a playoff game. That record was set in the 1999 ALDS, when the Red Sox walloped the Indians 23-7 at Fenway Park. A pinch-hitter in that game for the Indians was Dave Roberts, the current Dodgers manager. Roberts struck out in his one at-bat before finishing the game in center field.
Quotable
“If you are going to lose a game at least we didn’t burn out the bullpen. That’s about the only good thing that came out of it.” – Braves manager Brian Snitker
