Los Angeles Dodgers wins National League Championship after defeating Atlanta Braves 4-3 in Game 7 of NLCS on Sunday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. With win over Braves, Dodgers heading to World Series for third time in 4 years.
Dodgers won National league pennant for the third time in 4 years. This is the first time in Dodgers history to win National League Championship after going down 3-1 early in the series. They have lost first two games of the series to go 0-2 before winning Game 3 and losing Game 4. Dodgers managed to avoid three elimination games against a very good opponent in Atlanta Braves.
Corey Seager Named as NLCS MVP
Shortstop, Corey Seager named as NLCS MVP for the first time in his career. Seager had monster regular season, but his hot form continued in the playoffs. The Lefty, hit record breaking 5 Home Runs in NLCS along with 9 hits, 8 runs and 11 RBI.
Dodgers not only trailed 3-1 in the series before winning it, They trailed by two runs in Game 7 before doing the same, getting a game-tying home run in the sixth inning from Hernández and a go-ahead home run an inning later from Cody Bellinger to finish off a comeback that took game-changing plays from veterans and newcomers alike.
Dave Roberts opted 23-year-old, Dustin May to began Game 7 Pitching, just two days after throwing 55 pitches in Game 5. The Rookie began with eight straight balls before allowing an RBI single. An inning that could’ve snowballed into disaster was saved with a double play and a strikeout to keep the Braves at one.
Another rookie, Tony Gonsolin, started the second inning. The Braves promptly added to their lead with a Dansby Swanson home run. Offensively, the Dodgers threatened inning after inning but struggled to bring runners home early on, stranding eight through four innings.
Still, they were making solid contact against Ian Anderson, working lengthy at-bats again against the Braves rookie starter who entered the night with 15 2/3 scoreless innings this postseason. Once again it was catcher Will Smith, who come to Dodger’s rescue , he delivered a two-out, two-run hit to tie the game in the third inning.
Dodgers’ superb defense kept them within striking distance of the game, Justin Turners acrobatic tag in the fourth inning to get Swanson out before converting it for the double play to get Riley out at third base is turning point of the game for Dodgers.
After two highlight plays in the last two previous games, Mookie Betts robbed a homer off the bat of Freddie Freeman in the fifth inning of Game 7. In Game 5, Betts’ shoestring catch ended in a double play when Marcell Ozuna left early while tagging at third base. In Game 6, Betts’ leaping catch at the wall solidified the Dodger lead in a 3–1 win.
Kike Hernández and Cody Bellinger goes deep to win it for Dodgers’
Braves Lefty, Minter took the mound for the sixth inning, when the Dodgers went to their bench to Hernández. The pinch-hitter added another October moment to remember with a 424-foot blast to tie the game. The home run was Hernández’s eighth in the playoffs since 2017, tied with Max Muncy and Turner for the most on the team.
In the bottom of the seventh, Bellinger gave the Dodgers their first lead with a two-out home run off Chris Martin. Dave Roberts turned to young lefty Julio Urías to keep their Game 7 lead intact. Pitching four days after throwing 101 pitches in Game 3, Urías threw the last three scoreless innings on Sunday, retiring all nine batters he faced to finish the comeback.
The Dodgers overcame a two-game playoff series deficit with their third straight win to capture the series. It’s not the first time they’ve accomplished a feat like that, doing so on two separate occasions in 1981.That year, they won the World Series. Now, in a season that almost never was, they have a chance to do so in 2020.
Starting from Tuesday 20th October, Dodgers set to play against American League Champions Tampa Bay Rays in 2020 World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
