Braves Head Back To Atlanta Still Chasing World Series Berth After Dodger 11-2 Game 5 Win

ATLANTA — They won’t be popping corks in Atlanta tonight.

The Braves remain one game away from going to the World Series after losing Game 5 of the National League Championship Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-11.

But after Thursday night, Atlanta fans are hard-pressed to not start having deja vu about being up three games to one against the Dodgers in the 2020 NLCS.

The Dodgers pummeled Atlanta pitching with a Dodgers club League Championship Series record 17 hits for 11 runs, including three homers from Chris Taylor and a pair of homers — including a three-run punctuation blast in the bottom of the eighth inning —to stave off elimination.

"They put it on us yesterday so we had to respond," Taylor said after the game.

L.A.'s batting barrage bested a Braves offense that couldn't build scoring beyond the two runs Freddie Freeman collected from his first-inning homer.

With six Dodger runs on the board by the fifth inning, Atlanta skipper Brian Snitker had seen enough and pulled starting pitcher Max Fried.

Last year’s league championship series Braves collapsed under the weight (and lofty expectations) of that two-game lead, losing three games in a row to watch L.A. go on to win the World Series. Atlanta had high hopes after a third win Wednesday night.

Now, they will have to muster the confidence — with the help of fans in Atlanta — to close out the Dodgers to move on to the World Series.

The NLCS returns to Truist Field in Atlanta on Saturday for Game 6, which begins Saturday at 5:08 p.m. EST. Play will be broadcast on TBS and with radio play-by-play at 680 the Fan. Subscribers to YouTube TV and Hulu Live can stream the game.

Like this article? Sign up for our newsletter and get it delivered every weekday. It's free!