ARLINGTON, Texas — It was too little. It might not be too late.
Down by seven runs after six innings on Tuesday night at Globe Life Field, the Dodgers looked like they would become the Atlanta Braves’ fifth shutout victim in seven postseason games.
The Dodgers avoided that fate with a seventh-inning three-run home run by Corey Seager and then fought back within a run, getting the tying run to third base in the ninth inning before losing 8-7 to the Braves in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series.
By scoring seven runs in the final three innings, the kings of the late innings during the regular season gave themselves a pulse heading into Game 3.
“This team has a lot of fight. We’ve done it all year,” said Seager, who drove in the Dodgers’ first four runs in Game 2. “We were one swing, one anything away from tying that ballgame and going into extras. It’s never over ’til it’s over. This is a long series and we’re up to the challenge.”
They will have to buck history. Since the LCS went to a best-of-seven format in 1985, teams in the AL and NL that have taken 2-0 leads have gone on to win 29 of 31 times.
In the Dodgers’ own recent history, this is the third time during their current run of eight consecutive postseason appearances that they have lost the first two games of a series. The other two – the 2018 World Series against the Boston Red Sox and 2013 NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals – each ended badly for the Dodgers.
“It’s just one game at a time,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I know it’s a cliche but that’s the only way to do it and the only way to approach it. I thought just late, us showing some life offensively was good to see.
“To see us fighting, that was a good thing.”
Freddie Freeman is likely to collect the National League MVP award for the 2020 season next month. He hit a home run for the second consecutive game and drove in three runs as the Braves built their big lead. The two MVP winners in the Dodgers’ lineup – Mookie Betts (the American League MVP in 2018) and Cody Bellinger (the NL MVP last season) – were a combined 0 for 13 in this series before rousing from their slumber during a three-run ninth.
They aren’t alone in taking the collar against Braves pitching. As a team, the Dodgers have hit .209 (14 for 67) – with four of those hits coming in the ninth inning of Game 2.
The Dodgers wasted early opportunities that loomed larger only after the 4-hour, 12-minute game reached its final moments. They drew five walks in the first four innings, had runners at first and second with two outs in the first inning and the bases loaded in the third.
Nothing came of any of it, thanks in part to an outstanding play by Braves third baseman Austin Riley on Will Smith’s bullet in the first inning. Nothing came of Chris Taylor’s 400-foot drive to center field, 103 mph off the bat, to lead off the third inning either. Ronald Acuña Jr. flagged it down at the wall.
“It’s just been a battle for us the past two days,” Seager said. “They’ve thrown some good games and we just have to make the adjustments.”
The Dodgers had to content themselves with working rookie starter Ian Anderson’s pitch count up high enough (85) to get into the Braves’ bullpen early.
The Dodgers had to wait for their reward in Game 2. They were down 7-0 by the time Seager struck his three-run shot off Braves lefty A.J. Minter. His double drove in Betts with another run in the ninth. Max Muncy followed with a two-run home run and Smith reached on an error.
The Dodgers’ rally was built against some relievers they would not have seen in a closer game – Darren O’Day, A.J. Minter and Josh Tomlin were charged with six of the Dodgers’ seven runs. But when Bellinger tripled into the right field corner with two outs in the ninth, Braves closer Mark Melancon was in the game. Smith scored and the tying run was stunningly just 90 feet from scoring. A.J. Pollock grounded out to end the game.
Tabbed to start Game 2 when Clayton Kershaw had to be scratched due to back spasms, Tony Gonsolin was perfect through the first three innings – and very imperfect after that. Just as he had against Walker Buehler in the first inning of Game 1, Freeman took an inside fastball and rifled it into the right field seats.
The two-run home run put the Braves on top to stay. They have scored first in each of their seven games this postseason. But they weren’t done.
The Braves scored four times in the fifth inning, chasing Gonsolin from the game and piling on against Pedro Baez. Gonsolin and Baez tied an LCS record by issuing four walks in the inning (including one by Baez with the bases loaded). Freeman ripped an RBI single off Baez after Roberts brought the right-handed Baez in to face him.
Roberts had Blake Treinen warming up at one point as Gonsolin faded. Adam Kolarek would have come in to face Freeman in the days before the three-batter minimum rule. So Roberts went with Baez and the Braves pounced.“You’re in a tough spot with that three-batter rule,” Roberts said. “It’s 3-0 there. To think about bringing in one of your highest-leverage relievers (like Treinen or Brusdar Graterol) in the fifth inning of a three-run deficit game just doesn’t make sense there.
“You just can’t play every game, regardless of score, like it’s life or death in a seven-game series.”
The Braves added a run off Alex Wood in the seventh and then capped the night with their new postseason tradition – a home run by Ozzie Albies caught by Melancon in the Braves’ bullpen. That proved to be the deciding run.
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