NLCS: Braves Walk-Off Weekend Sends L.A. Home Down 2

ATLANTA — Call it the Braves’ Walk-off weekend.

Games 1 and 2 were won by 9th inning at-bat heroics from third baseman Austin Riley and left fielder Eddie Rosario, respectively, giving the Atlanta Brave a 2-0 lead over the Dodgers as they travel to Los Angeles for a three-game road stand.

The National League Championship Series looks promising for the Braves who took Game 1 with a 3-2 score and rallied from two runs down at the top of the eighth inning to win 5-4 in Game 2. This comes a year after Atlanta lost three straight games to the World Champion Dodgers in the 2020 NLCS after building a 3-1 lead.

Braves manager Brian Snitker told mlb.com reporter Mark Bowman his team is able to overcome adversity.

“These guys never quit,” Snitker said. “You better not leave early when this team is down, because you’ll end up missing the best part of the game and listening to it on your radio when you’re driving home.”

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L.A. got on the board early Sunday night in Game 2 when a Corey Seager homer off Braves starter Ian Anderson to right field scored Mookie Betts.

Atlanta returned the favor in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-run Joc Pederson homer from a Max Scherzer curveball that sent Riley home.

In the top of the seventh, Dodger center fielder Chris Taylor line drive a double to right field, scoring Betts and Will Smith (not to be confused with Braves left-handed pitcher of the same name).

The Braves were able to match scores in the bottom of the eight with an Ozzie Albies right-field line drive to score Rosario, followed by a Riley double to center sending Albies home (Riley also scored Albies on a winning line-drive single to left field in Game 1).

Rosario won the ninth inning, however, bookending spectacular plays.

At the top of the inning, with lefty Will Smith closing, Rosario caught a flyball sent his way from L.A. shortstop Trea Turner off a 91 mph fastball for an out.

Then Smith recorded a pair of clutch strikeouts, first forcing his namesake to whiff at three 82 mph sliders, then striking out pinch hitter Austin Barnes on a foul tip.

At the bottom of the inning, Dansby Swanson got on base after bunting into a Christian Pache force out. After center fielder Guillermo Heredia hit into a 6-3 groundout sending Swanson to second base and scoring position, it was left to Rosario to save the day.

The Dodgers brought Kenley Jansen from the bullpen to prevent a run.

Jansen’s first pitch was a 92.7 mph cutter that Rosario hit toward Dodger shortstop Corey Seager. The ground ball deflected off Seager and into center field, giving Swanson time to score for the win.

Game 3 begins Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 5:08 p.m., EST from Los Angeles and will be broadcast on TBS.

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