The Los Angeles Dodgers continued to do their part in the National League West race by defeating the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-3. L.A. extended their winning streak to six games and set the stage for a potentially memorable final day of the 2021 regular season.
They went into Saturday night’s matchup aware of the San Francisco Giants falling to the San Diego Padres, but facing a formidable challenge in NL Cy Young Award candidate Corbin Burnes.
Milwaukee provided Burnes a 1-0 lead before he threw a pitch, but the Dodgers quickly responded.
Trea Turner extended his career-best hitting streak to 18 games with a two-out single in the bottom of the first, which wound up sparking a rally. Max Muncy extended the inning with a walk and Justin Turner gave the Dodgers a lead with his career-high-tying 27th home run of the season.
Burnes wound up pitching just two innings, which kept his season ERA at 2.43 and coincidentally ahead of Max Scherzer for the NL lead. Walker Buehler could wind up with the ERA title if he logs at least 5.1 scoreless innings on Sunday, and Scherzer could get a bonus opportunity if a Game 163 is played.
The Brewers’ bullpen kept the game manageable until the fourth inning, when singles by Muncy and Turner put runners at the corners and were followed by a sacrifice fly from Will Smith. AJ Pollock then tied a career high with his 21st home run, which also was a fourth in the past four games.
Corey Seager added to the power display and his own personal hot streak with a solo home run in the fifth and Muncy added an RBI double in the eighth inning.
By then the Dodgers provided more than enough run support for Julio Urias, who had a stretch of 16 batters retired in a row after allowing an RBI double to Eduardo Escobar in the first inning. Urias followed the two-out walk in the sixth inning with a strike out of Escobar.
He wound up logging 7.1 innings with just the one run allowed, earning his 20th win of the season — a career high. Urias is the Dodgers’ first 20-game winner since Clayton Kershaw racked up 21 during an MVP season in 2014.
Dodgers’ NL West scenario
Urias was in position to reach 20 wins thanks to the Padres providing some assistance. The Dodgers will need more of it on Sunday, as the only way they can get a look at extending their streak of NL West titles to nine is with a Game 163.
For that to come to fruition, San Diego will need to win their series at Oracle Park and the Dodgers have to complete a sweep of the Brewers.
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