Cody Bellinger hit a one-out, go-ahead single in the top of the ninth inning to help send the Los Angeles Dodgers to the National League Championship Series with a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants in Game 5 of the NL Division Series on Thursday in San Francisco.
In the final contest between the teams that won the most games in MLB this year, the Dodgers rode Mookie Betts’ 4-for-4 performance and a combined six-hitter from their pitchers to reach their fifth NLCS in six years.
Los Angeles will visit the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series on Saturday.
After the Dodgers and Giants traded runs in the sixth, Los Angeles’ Justin Turner was hit by a pitch from Camilo Doval (0-1) with one out in the ninth. Gavin Lux moved Turner to second with a single, and Bellinger drove him in with his hit into center.
After closer Kenley Jansen (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth, Cy Young Award candidate Max Scherzer came out of the Dodgers’ bullpen and overcame a one-out error by Turner at third base for his first career save.
The expected pitchers’ duel between Giants right-hander Logan Webb and Dodgers lefty Julio Urias panned out, even after Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts threw a curveball into the equation by starting right-handed reliever Corey Knebel.
Knebel and righty Brusdar Graterol did their part for Roberts, combining for two scoreless innings to start the contest, before the Webb-Urias duel began.
The Dodgers scored first in the sixth when Betts singled with one out, stole second and trotted home on an opposite-field double by Corey Seager.
Webb escaped further damage, and Darin Ruf’s leadoff homer off Urias in the bottom of the sixth knotted the game again. The 452-foot (138-meter) bomb to center field was the veteran’s first career postseason home run.
Urias, the winning pitcher in Game 2, was pulled after four innings, having allowed one run and three hits. He struck out five and did not walk anyone.
Webb, who pitched 7⅔ shutout innings in Game 1, was charged with one run on four hits in his seven innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
Kris Bryant had two hits for the Giants, who were the winningest team in the majors in the regular season with 107 victories. The Dodgers won 106 games.
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Source : Baseball – The Japan Times