Mookie Betts hit a go-ahead two-run double during a four-run eighth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 6-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers tied the score three batters earlier on Cody Bellinger’s three-run homer. The next batter, Chris Taylor singled, stole second, moved to third on pinch hitter Matt Beaty’s ground out and scored on Betts’ double.
The victory cut the Dodgers’ deficit in the best-of-seven series to two games to one. Game 4 will be played Wednesday, also at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers opened the scoring in the first inning on a two-run homer by their second batter, Corey Sager. However, they were held scoreless over the next 7 1/3 innings until Bellinger’s home run with one out in the eighth.
The Braves combined four singles, Austin Riley’s double and two walks for four runs in the fourth inning, taking a 4-2 lead.
Atlanta added a run in the fifth. Ozzie Albies led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on Joc Pederson’s fly out and scored on Adam Duvall’s single.
Tony Gonsolin, the eighth of nine Dodger pitchers was credited with the victory, inducing Albies, the only batter he faced, to line out to Taylor in center field on the second pitch he threw to end the eighth inning.
Kenley Jansen struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth for his first save of the 2021 postseason. Jansen was the winning pitcher in the NL wild-card game against the St. Louis Cardinals Oct. 6 and Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants Thursday.
Luke Jackson, the fourth of five Braves’ pitchers was charged with the loss, after allowing hits to four of the five batters he faced to begin the eighth, including Bellinger.
Dodger starter Walker Buehler was relieved with two outs in the fourth, the bases loaded and the Dodgers trailing 4-2. Reliever Alex Vesia retired Freddie Freeman on a line drive to Taylor to end the inning. It was the only pitch Vesia threw as he was pinch hit for in the bottom of the fourth.
Buehler allowed four runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings, walking three and striking out three.
Atlanta starter Charlie Morton was lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth inning after allowing two runs and three hits. He issued a postseason career-high six walks, including four in the first inning, tying Hall of Famer Tom Glavine for the most walks by a Braves pitcher in one postseason inning.
The victory made the Dodgers the seventh team to extend a league championship series to a least five games after falling behind two games to none. Of the 15 previous championship series that included a team trailing two games to none, nine ended in sweeps.
The victory was the Dodgers’ 18th in their last 19 games at Dodger Stadium. The run began with a three-game sweep of Atlanta, Aug. 30-Sept. 1, the start of a franchise-record 15-game home winning streak.
Atlanta has lost its last 10 games at Dodger Stadium, including two postseason contests in 2018.