For the second consecutive night, the Braves won with a walk off hit. In the ninth inning Eddie Rosario hit a two-out double off shortstop Corey Seager’s glove. This gave Atlanta a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and a 2-0 lead in the NL Championship Series.

Atlanta rallied twice from deficits of two runs before Rosario hit his fourth hit of game. It was a 105 mph bomb up the middle on the second pitch after Kenley Jansen reliever. Seager attempted to make a backhand catch, but the ball sailed into center field.

It was impossible to catch Dansby Swanson. He raced from second with winning runs, dropping his helmet as soon as he crossed the plate. This was a replay of Game 1, when Austin Riley won with a winning pitch in the ninth. A 3-2 win was possible.

Los Angeles is the next stop in the series, with Game 3 scheduled for Tuesday night.

Two more wins are needed by the Braves to make their first appearance in the World Series since 1999. But they won’t be able to celebrate yet.

Seventy-three out of the 87 teams that took 2-0 lead in best-of-7 baseball postseason series went on to win.

Atlanta had leads of 2-0, 3-1, over the Dodgers in NLCS. However, Atlanta lost the final three games in Arlington, Texas because of the pandemic. Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay in World Series while the Braves waited for another chance.

After rallying in the eighth against Julio Urias (who pitched three scoreless innings to win Game 7 against the Braves last Oct), they are now halfway towards retribution.

Atlanta’s Joc Pederson and Seager traded two-run homers — Pederson adding his “Joctober”, with his third postseason homer and first from his long-standing team — before Chris Taylor gave the Dodgers the lead again with a seven-run run.

Los Angeles wasted another chance, going 1-10 with runners in scoring position and falling to 2-18 in the series.

The Dodgers were just six outs away from tieing the series. They brought in Urias, their expected Game 4 starter, to help them keep the lead. Jansen took the ninth.

The 20-game winner couldn’t make it happen. Rosario started with a single, and wisely tagged up in order to move up to second on Freddie Freeman’s flyout to the left.

Ozzie Albies lined one-to-right for another hit from Urias. Rosario was sent home by Ron Washington, third base coach. He zipped around third and then sent Rosario home.

It was Riley, Game 1’s star, who came through once more. He made a double wall in the right center, bringing Albies around with the tie run.

Travis d’Arnaud opened the ninth with a single-run to center on a pitch from Brusdar Graterol at 101 mph. He was then replaced by Cristian Pache, a pinch-runner. Swanson attempted to move Pache with a bunt but was unsuccessful. Seager’s bounced, offline throw resulted in a forceout at the second base.

Swanson was able to go to second when Guillermo Heredia flied out to third base. Rosario was the Dodgers’ closer and he threw the first pitch of the fifth walk-off in the 23 postseason games.

Braves closer Will Smith won the win with a quick 1-2-3 top nine. Trea Turner’s drive at the base wall in left gave Smith a huge sigh.

Six pitches into the game, the Dodgers took a 2-0 lead against Ian Anderson of Braves. Anderson came in with a 3-0 record along with a 0.76 ERA in five postseason starts.

Mookie Betts started with one, and Seager launched a second to stun the crowd in right-center.

Pederson brought them back with the fourth installment of Joctober.

Pederson was accompanied by a runner and connected on a hanging curve to Max Scherzer for his third homer this postseason. It was a 454-foot shot into the Chop House restaurant, above the right-field stands.

It was the longest homer ever by a player in this postseason — the 12th of Pederson’s career in games that really matter.

The Dodgers had Pederson play for the first nine. He’s now with the Braves.

Scherzer, who had scored the first save of his professional career against the San Francisco Giants in the Division Series deciding game, was back to his more familiar position as Game 2 starter.

He was relieved to be able to rest for two days and threw 79 pitches. He gave up four hits, two runs and one walk, while striking out seven.

Anderson was only able to last three innings. He was lifted as a pinch-hitter, after giving up three runs and three walks.

TRAINER’S ROHROOM

Justin Turner’s streak ending in 77 consecutive postseason starts was ended by a sore neck.

Turner injured his neck during batting practice prior to Game 1. Turner went 1 for 4 but his manager Dave Roberts stated that he could see Turner’s discomfort during the 3-2 Braves loss.

Turner was just 3 for 28 in postseason but Roberts stated that he didn’t let his struggles at the plate affect his decision not to place his third baseman. Taylor, a versatile catcher, started in Turner’s place.

FIRST PITCH

Dale Murphy, one the Atlanta Braves’ most outstanding players, threw the ceremonial opening pitch.

He did it with flair.

Murphy was introduced and walked towards the mound in a No. Murphy wore the No. 3 jersey, which was so familiar throughout his career that he won back-to-back MVP awards in 1982 & ’83.

He stopped abruptly, and he took off the jersey. Hank Aaron’s No. 44 uniform. Aaron passed away in January. The team has been paying tribute to his memory throughout the season.

Murphy needed to change his uniform before he could pitch. He took off the Hammer’s shirt and put on Riley’s No. 27

Murphy also brought out a pair pearls as a tribute to Pederson’s fashion statement.

That was a great idea for the fourth inning.

NEXT

RH Walker Buehler (0-1; 3.38 ERA postseason) starts Game 3 against Braves RH Charlie Morton (1-0, 3.86).