The Los Angeles Dodgers took a 2-0 lead on the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series thanks to a walk-off, three-run home run hit by Justin Turner in the bottom of the ninth inning. Turner’s heroics came on the anniversary of Kirk Gibson’s walk-off homer in the 1988 World Series.
Through the better part of Game 2 at Dodger Stadium, the story was squandered opportunities by both teams. Rich Hill escaped a small jam in the first inning, and again in the third. While the Cubs put some traffic on the bases, Hill was reprising his six shutout innings thrown in last year’s NLCS.
That skidded to an end in some regard as Addison Russell led off the fifth inning with a home run to break a scoreless tie. Similar to his counterpart, Jon Lester kept the Dodgers at bay despite runners reaching.
Cody Bellinger’s two-out double in the third inning was the team’s first hit. But he and Turner were stranded by Kiké Hernandez.
Turner’s two-out single in the bottom of the fifth tied the game. That’s how it remained heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. Brian Duensing began a second inning in relief by issuing a leadoff walk to Yasiel Puig.
We don’t believe what we just saw! #NLCS pic.twitter.com/sJkKJhk3WU
— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2017
John Lackey eventually entered with two outs, only to walk Chris Taylor. Lackey’s first pitch to Turner was in the dirt. His next was sent sailing to straightaway center field in the warm October air, and Dodger Stadium went into a frenzy.
