Los Angeles — The Los Angeles Dodgers offense bounced back Saturday in a 9-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants that saw the reigning World Series champions level their Major League Baseball series.
One day after they were shut out by the Giants in game one of the best-of-five National League division series, the Dodgers responded to give themselves a chance to close out the series in two games in Los Angeles.
Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias shut down the Giants — and helped his own cause with a run-batted-in-single.
Cody Bellinger and AJ Pollock produced two-run doubles as the Dodgers blew open a close game in the sixth inning.
It was a statement in San Francisco for the Dodgers, who notched 106 regular-season games but still had to play a wild card game to earn the right to face the Giants — who won the National League West division with 107 regular-season wins.
“It was a lot,” Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts said of having to beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild card game then immediately face their NL West rivals.
“Emotions ran high through the wild card game, that was a crazy game in itself. Usually you need a little time to reset — we only had a day.
“But each game, you’ve got to take it one game at a time,” Betts added. “And we were able to pull one out today.”
Urias struck out five and walked one over five innings, giving up one run on three hits. He also singled in a run in the second inning to give the Dodgers the lead before Betts drove in another run.
San Francisco responded in the bottom half of the inning, when Urias issued a leadoff walk to Wilmer Flores who would score on a sacrifice fly from Donovan Solano.
It remained 2-1 heading into the sixth inning, when Trea Turner doubled to lead off the inning for the Dodgers, and after Justin Turner struck out, Will Smith walked to chase Giants starting pitcher Kevin Gausman after 5 1/3 innings.
The bases were loaded when Bellinger, who struck out in his first two at bats, stepped to the plate and belted a pitch from reliever Dominic Leone into the left center field gap for a two-run double.
Pollock followed with another two-run double and the Dodgers were off — out-scoring San Francisco 7-1 over the final four innings.
“It’s great to win one on the road,” Betts said.
‘Keep them off balance’
The Atlanta Braves did the same in Milwaukee, where Max Fried pitched six strong innings and Austin Riley homered in a 3-0 victory over the Brewers that leveled their NL division series at one game apiece.
The Brewers brought the tying run to the plate in each of the last three innings, but the Braves bullpen held on to send the best-of-five National League division series back to Atlanta tied at one game apiece.
Fried gave up three hits and struck out nine without surrendering a walk.
Willy Adames hit a two-out double off Fried in the sixth, but Fried struck out Eduardo Escobar to end the danger.
“It’s a really good team over there, so you just want to try to stay on top and keep them off balance,” Fried said.
Atlanta took a 2-0 lead in the third inning off The Braves pitcher Brandon Woodruff.
Jorge Soler hit a one-out double and scored on Freddie Freeman’s single to right.
Ozzie Albies drove in Freeman with a double and the Braves made it 3-0 in the sixth when Riley belted a solo homer.