This was not how the Dodgers or their fans pictured the National League Championship Series starting off.
It’s one thing to get totally blown out or outplayed on the road in a series like this, but for the Dodgers to lose not one, but both of the first two games in Atlanta on walk-off singles? That’s a tough pill to swallow for any team.
Sunday night’s loss in Game 2 was particularly painful. The Dodgers coughed up a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the 8th inning but were able to stop the bleeding and get out of the inning with the score tied at 4. Then, in the bottom of the 9th with two out, Braves outfielder Eddie Rosario laced a pitch from Kenley Jansen up the middle. It was too hot for Dodger shortstop Corey Seager to handle, driving home Seager’s counterpart at shortstop, Dansby Swanson, from third to give the Braves the 5-4 win and a commanding 2-0 series lead.
The series now returns to Los Angeles for Games 3, 4 and 5 (if a Game 5 is necessary), which have now essentially become must-wins for the Dodgers.
Games 6 and 7 will be back in Atlanta, but the Dodgers must win at least 2 out of the upcoming 3 games in Los Angeles to send the series back to Georgia.
In the Dodgers' defense, they do have some recent history being down to Atlanta in a playoff series.
Last year, the team clawed its way back from a 3-1 series deficit to win the National League pennant on the way to hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy as World Series champs.
Both teams will trot out stud pitchers to the mound for Game 3. Charlie Morton gets the nod for the Braves and Walker Buehler will start for the Dodgers. First pitch from Dodger Stadium is 2:08 p.m.
