An all-too-familiar October script played out for the Los Angeles Dodgers in an 8-7 loss to the Atlanta Braves, dropping them into a 2-0 hole in the National League Championship Series. On top of taking hold of the series, the Braves remained undefeated in seven games this postseason.
Tony Gonsolin filled in admirably for Clayton Kershaw, holding the Braves without a baserunner through three innings. Gonsolin started the fourth with a walk and that wound up leading to trouble as Freddie Freeman lined another laser out to right field for his second home run of the NLCS.
Gonsolin initially kept the Dodgers in the game until the Braves chase him in the fifth inning. Cristian Pache’s RBI double crated more separation and Pedro Baez allowed three more runs to come across before being replaced by Dylan Floro to get the final out.
Gonsonlin’s early success was negated by a Dodgers lineup that stressed rookie Ian Anderson early but had nothing to show for it other than a high pitch count.
Mookie Betts and Max Muncy walked in the first inning but were stranded when Austin Riley made a terrific stab at third base and Freeman laid out to dig the low throw and keep his foot on the bag to rob Will Smith of a hit.
Smith then came up empty again in the third when L.A. loaded the bases on walks by Betts and Muncy, which sandwiched Justin Turner’s single. Turner’s two-out base hit was the Dodgers’ first of the game.
It was nearly Taylor who had that but his drive to lead off the fourth inning was caught at the wall in center field. With a 109 mph exit velocity and 407 feet, the fly out would have easily been a home run to straightaway center at Dodger Stadium.
Turner’s single wound up holding as the Dodgers’ only hit off Anderson in his four innings. It was Anderson’s third scoreless start of the postseason despite setting a career high with five walks.
After Turner’s single, the Dodgers were held without a hit until Smith’s one-out single in the sixth inning.
Corey Seager provided a jolt with a three-run homer in the seventh, but it was fleeting and Ozzie Albies connected for a home run of his own in the ninth inning to give the Braves insurance.
That made matters slightly more comfortable for Atlanta when Seager pulled an RBI double down the first-base line and Muncy hit a two-run homer in the ninth. The Braves then went to Mark Melancon but and error that allowed Smith to reach was followed by Cody Bellinger hitting an RBI triple before the save was converted.
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