Recap: Dodgers vs Braves – NLCS – Game 3

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Dodgers (6-2)  |  Braves (7-1)

 

“There’s a lot of fight left, we showed that last night. Seven games is a long series and we just have to start with one today.” – Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts

 

In the FSM Essential NLCS Game 2 recap, I wrote the following: “For the Dodgers to get back in the series, they need to be aggressive and attack the Braves pitchers. They can’t afford to wait for the big shot. Betts, Seager, and Turner have to be the guys to get it started at the top of the order. Bellinger has to start hitting and not be the guy he has been in past postseasons.”

Boy, did the Dodgers do that in a big way on Wednesday!

Los Angeles set a Major League Baseball record by scoring 11 runs in the first inning. They also sent 14 men to the plate, had 7 hits, and forced the Braves starting pitcher Kyle Wright out of the game after just 2/3’s of an inning pitched. More importantly, for Los Angeles, they once again looked like the best team in baseball.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves – National League Championship Series Game #2

 

 

Game 3 – Win – 15-3

 

 

The Dodgers catalyst all season has been Betts, and he got it started for L.A. on the first pitch of the game with an infield single. Corey Seager then doubled him in two pitches later to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. “The Fresh Prince of Chavez Ravine,” Will Smith, doubled Seager in, and two batters later, Joc Pederson hit a three-run home run to make the score 5-0. Edwin Rios followed Pederson’s shot with one of his own. Max Muncy then hit a 3-2 pitch for a grand slam to top off the Dodgers scoring in the first inning to make it 11-0.

All Julio Urias, the Dodgers starting pitcher, had to do was get the ball over the plate and not act like he owned an 11 run lead. He did struggle with his control but managed to keep Atlanta scoreless through the first two innings. Bellinger and Seager each hit home runs in the second and third innings to give the Dodgers a 13-0 lead. After a Will Smith RBI ground out to give the Dodgers a two-touchdown lead, Bellinger singled in Muncy to run the score to 15-0.

At this point in the game, the biggest question was which positional player would eat up some innings for the Braves because not only were the Braves unsure who they would start on Thursday; the Dodgers were going to run through their bullpen.

Julio Urias, while he was throwing hard, was not in control of his stuff. He threw 71 pitches over three innings, including allowing a Cristian Pache home run. The Dodgers needed Urias to eat up some innings to save the bullpen, which was overworked during the series’s first games. Dustin May was unavailable since he would be the starter in Game 4 if Kershaw can’t go, or Game 5 if he could.

 

 

But Urias settled down after that and cruised through the fourth inning, which was a good sign for the Dodgers and their skipper Dave Roberts. That inning, the Dodgers also pulled Betts out of the action since the game was in hand. Urias went 5 innings and gave the Dodgers a solid start, which rested the bullpen’s key members.

Now all eyes will turn to Kershaw, who is slated to start Game 4, providing his back is good to go. It’s not only L.A.’s most important game of the year, but also Kershaw’s career. LA is back in this series and has the momentum. The first-ballot Hall of Famer needs to show up and pitch big for the Dodgers today.

L.A.’s catalyst, Mookie Betts, spoke about it to the team and the media earlier in the day, and he and his teammates delivered in a major way. That is exactly the reason why the Dodgers traded for Betts. Dodgers’ teams in years past would not have rebounded from being down 2-0 in a best-of-seven series, but this isn’t those teams, and the Dodger Faithful can be glad about that.

“Win a game today and get on the wave,”  Betts said to the media. After Wednesday’s game, the Dodgers are shredding the gnar on that wave, led by Mookie.

 

 

The Dodgers and Braves will now face off in Game 4 of the NLCS this afternoon. The first pitch scheduled for 5:08 pm and can be seen on Fox.

 

 

Scheduled to pitch in Game 4 Wednesday, 10/14

 

Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw (2-0 / 1.93 ERA) – Braves: Bryse Wilson (N/A)

 

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Joe Arrigo

Twitter: JoeArrigo

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