MLB Playoffs: Dodgers bats show up late in NLCS game 2

The Dodgers rally in the final innings of an MLB playoffs game for a second straight night; this time it results in a 4-3 win to even the NLCS

So far in the National League Championship Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers can only win the 7th through the 9th innings. That might be enough in the MLB playoffs.

Saturday afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers the Dodgers entered the seventh trailing 3-0, having amassed just two hits worth of offense.

But they scored twice against the Brewers’ bullpen in the seventh, then went ahead in the eighth on Justin Turner’s two-run home run off closer Jeremy Jeffress. The result was a come-from-behind 4-3 victory that squared the NLCS at a game apiece.

Save for the identity of the winner, the pattern exactly replicated Friday’s series opener, when the Brewers opened a 6-1 lead and held LA to three hits through seven innings, then hung on for dear life as the Dodgers scored four times in the eighth and ninth.

Into the seventh Saturday, the Brewers appeared destined for a 2-0 advantage heading cross-country for Game 3 Monday in Los Angeles. Starter Wade Miley shut out the Dodgers on just two hits through 5 and two-thirds, and Corbin Burnes recorded the final out. The Dodgers did put up two runs against Burnes and Jeffress in the seventh, but Yasmani Grandal’s double play grounder with the bases loaded temporarily preserved Milwaukee’s lead.

That lead lasted only as long as it took Chris Taylor to open the eighth by beating out a weak tap in front of third baseman Mike Moustakas and Justin Turner to launch a Jeffress split-finger into the seats in left.

Miley and Dodger starter Hyun-Jin Ryu matched zeroes through the first four innings, although Miley survived a close call. With Turner on first via a base hit in the first inning, David Freese drove Lorenzo Cain over the wall in center to pull back Freese’s would-have-been home run. But that was as close as the Dodgers came to touching Miley, who made Freese the first of 16 successive batters he would retire.

Orlando Arcia broke the scoring ice in the bottom of the fifth with a home run to dead center. Miley followed with a single and scored thanks to Cain’s double, an intentional walk to Christian Yelich and a ground ball off the bat of Ryan Braun that could not be converted into the inning-ending double play the Dodgers had sought.

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In the sixth, Travis Shaw homered to center field to make it 3-0.

The Dodgers, who led baseball in home runs during the regular season, did something they rarely due starting the seventh: they strung singles. After Burnes walked Max Muncy to start the inning, Machado, Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson all singled, producing the first LA run. Jeffress, who allowed Pederson’s bloop hit, fanned Yasiel Puig but then walked Austin Barnes with the bases full to send a second run home.

Having lost the lead on Turner’s blast, Milwaukee went down without a hit in the eighth or ninth. Dodger closer Kenley Jansen retired Arcia on a popup, walked Hernan Perez, but fanned Cain and got Yelich to ground easily to third to end the game.

Jeffress’ shaky performance Saturday was the second wobbly one in two nights. He has now worked one and one-third NLCS innings, allowing four hits, three runs – all of them earned – and a home run. During the regular season Jeffress had a 1.29 ERA and 15 saves.

The most interesting aspect of this series is the bifurcation of offense. In the first six innings of the first two games, Milwaukee has out-scored Los Angeles 8-1 and out-hit the Dodgers 17-4. From the seventh inning on, LA has an 8-1 scoring edge and a 14-2 advantage in hits.