The Los Angeles Dodgers needed a strong offensive performance in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series and they got exactly that, earning a 15-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves to cut their series deficit to 2-1.
Wednesday was a night for the record books as the Dodgers scored 11 runs in the first inning, which set an MLB postseason record for most in a single inning. They also set franchise records for most runs and homers (five) in a playoff game.
Mookie Betts got everything started with an infield single, quickly scoring on a double by Corey Seager. After Will Smith doubled Seager home and Cody Bellinger walked, the stage was set for the first home run of the night, a three-run shot off the bat of Joc Pederson to left-center field.
It didn’t take long for the Dodgers to hit their second homer. In fact, it came on the very next pitch when Edwin Rios hit a solo shot to straightaway center. Rios had been dealing with a groin injury and was in the lineup for the first time since the Wild Card Series.
The Dodgers batted around in the inning, forcing Braves starter Kyle Wright to be removed from the game. Max Muncy capped off the rally with a grand slam against Grant Dayton, making it 11-0 before Julio Urias even took the mound.
L.A. continued putting pressure on the Braves in the second and third innings as Bellinger and Seager each hit solo home runs to account for the team’s five on the night.
Seager finished with three hits, falling a triple shy of the cycle while be removed to get some rest in the fifth inning. Bellinger contributed two hits and two walks of his own, while Pederson went 4-for-6 to account for the most hits by an individual player.
Urias has another solid start
After getting an early 11-0 lead, Urias pitched with not a lot of pressure and was able to get through five innings, allowing just three hits and a run with five strikeouts and two walks. He has thrown a combined 13 innings across three outings this postseason, giving up just two runs (one earned).
The bullpen was then great in relief of him, with only Adam Kolarek allowing a pair of meaningless runs in the ninth inning to close out the victory.
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