What you need to know about the Braves’ 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series at Truist Park on Sunday night:
Rosario’s walk-off hit
The Dodgers led 2-0, and the Braves tied it. The Dodgers led 4-2, and the Braves tied it. A tense, tight game came to a dramatic conclusion with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with a second consecutive walk-off win for the resilient Braves. This time, Eddie Rosario’s fourth hit of the night — a single scorched past shortstop Corey Seager into center field off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen — scored Dansby Swanson from second base to give the Braves a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven series.
Riley’s big hit
The Braves trailed 4-2 entering the bottom of the eighth inning. They pulled within 4-3 when Ozzie Albies’ RBI single scored Rosario. Then, one night after winning Game 1 with a walk-off single, Austin Riley blasted an RBI double to deep center off Dodgers reliever Julio Urias, scoring Albies from first base to send Game 2 to the ninth tied 4-4.
Credit: Hyosub Shin
Credit: Hyosub Shin
Dodgers’ last lead
The Dodgers’ Chris Taylor, facing Braves reliever Luke Jackson, placed a bases-loaded hit in front of center fielder Guillermo Heredia in the seventh inning. The ball bounced past the charging Heredia for a double, and two baserunners, both of whom had reached on walks (one intentional) off Tyler Matzek, scored to break a 2-2 tie. Heredia had entered the game as part of a double-switch earlier in the inning.
First-inning woes
During the regular season, Ian Anderson had a 6.38 ERA in the first inning and a 2.93 ERA across all other innings. He struggled again at the outset of Sunday’s game. A single by Dodgers leadoff batter Mookie Betts was immediately followed by a two-run homer to right-center by Seager off an Anderson curveball, giving L.A. a 2-0 lead before making an out. Anderson walked two batters later in the inning, but stranded them. The Dodgers put two more runners on base against him in the third inning but didn’t score. Still, that ended a brief outing for the Braves’ starter, who was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the third.
Credit: Curtis Compton
Credit: Curtis Compton
Joctober, continued
The latest chapter of “Joctober” was written against his former team. Joc Pederson blasted a 454-foot two-run home run to right field off a Max Scherzer curveball to match Seager’s homer and tie the game 2-2 in the fourth inning. It was Pederson’s 12th career postseason homer, three with the Braves this month and the first nine with the Dodgers.
Scherzer’s short start
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Scherzer, starting on two days’ rest after pitching out of the bullpen in NLDS Game 5, lasted only 4-1/3 innings and 79 pitches. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts lifted him with a runner on first base in the fifth, the game still 2-2.
Notable
- Freddie Freeman struck out in his first three at-bats Sunday, making seven consecutive K’s for him since the home run that won the NL Division Series against Milwaukee. A flyout to left field ended Freeman’s strikeout streak in the eighth inning.
- The Braves used eight pitchers, who collectively issued nine walks but allowed only four hits.
- The Braves have played six postseason games. Matzek and Jackson have appeared in all of them.
- The Dodgers are 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position through the first two games of the series, including 1-for-10 in Game 2.
