After winning a Major League-best 43 games during the regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers returned to the playoffs for an eighth consecutive year, looking to take care of unfinished business.
The club did just that, sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres in the first two rounds of the postseason before defeating the Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays to capture their first World Series championship since 1988.
With that, DodgerBlue.com ranked the 10 best plays of the 2020 postseason. The list begins with No. 10, when the Dodgers put up an 11-spot against the Braves in the first inning of Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.
Facing a 2-0 deficit, the club essentially found itself in a must-win situation. Needing to get off to a good start, Mookie Betts led off the top of the first with an infield single after a challenge to overturn an out call.
One pitch later, Corey Seager gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead with an RBI double against Kyle Wright. After retiring Justin Turner and Max Muncy in back-to-back at-bats, the Braves right-hander was one out away from limiting the damage.
However, Will Smith extended the frame with a double, followed by a Cody Bellinger walk. That’s when Joc Pederson delivered a three-run homer to give the Dodgers a 5-0 lead.
Wright would face two more batters, giving up another home run to Edwin Rios and walking Chris Taylor. He was removed in favor of former Dodgers relief pitcher Grant Dayton, who promptly walked Betts and allowed an RBI single to Seager.
Turner was then hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Muncy. On a 3-2 count, he drove everyone home with a grand slam that put the Dodgers in front, 11-0, before the Braves could even take their first at-bats.
The Dodgers went on to win, 15-3, and avoided falling into an insurmountable 3-0 lead. While they would drop Game 4 and face a 3-1 deficit, L.A. stormed back to win three consecutive games and advance to their third World Series in the last four years.
Dodgers set franchise record for most home runs in postseason game
The Dodgers hit an overall five home runs in Game 3 of the NLCS, receiving additional ones from Bellinger in the second inning and Seager in the third. The blasts helped the club set a record for the most home runs hit in a postseason game in franchise history.
The club also broke another postseason franchise record by scoring 15 runs.
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