ATLANTA — Last fall, the Dodgers played the postseason in a bubble. This year, they are playing it in a phone booth.
After a wild-card game that went into the ninth inning tied and a Division Series Game 5 that also went into the ninth inning tied, the Dodgers opened the NL Championship Series with the Atlanta Braves in similarly close quarters.
Game 1 on Saturday night went into the ninth inning tied – because, you know, playoff baseball. But the Braves came through with the heroics this time. Austin Riley’s RBI single off Blake Treinen drove in the winning run, giving the Braves a 3-2 walk-off win and the early advantage in the best-of-seven series.
Game 2 is Sunday at 4:30 p.m with Max Scherzer scheduled to start, following up on Game 1’s conga line of eight relievers. The relief relay worked, holding the Braves to six hits and 14 strikeouts.
“We prevented runs all night,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of a pitching staff that has now given up just 14 runs in seven postseason games. “We didn’t not win the game because we didn’t prevent runs.”
Well, you kind of did.
As effective as the Dodgers were in tamping down the Braves’ offense, they did a pretty good job of holding their own in check as well. A baserunning mistake by Chris Taylor in the ninth inning short-circuited what could have been a go-ahead rally.
“It was one of those games,” Taylor said. “We squandered a couple opportunities and they took advantage.”
Taylor was at the center of the two most costly squandered opportunities.
With the score tied, 2-2, in the seventh, he blooped a leadoff double over Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman’s head. As new-age as the construction of their Game 1 pitching plan was, the Dodgers turned to an old-school tactic and had pinch-hitter Austin Barnes bunt – gasp – Taylor to third base.
But Mookie Betts (popped out to Freeman) and Trea Turner (struck out) stranded him there.
“I think I might have been a little bit too aggressive but I’m okay with that, because that’s what I told myself I wanted to do,” Turner said of his at-bat against Tyler Matzek. “He made some good pitches, I swung at some balls. Obviously, I would like to have that one, that at-bat back.”
That left the Dodgers 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position in the game and 4 for 33 since a brief breakout in NLDS Game 2. They didn’t get another at-bat in the game with RISP.
Taylor reached base for the third time in the game when he drew a two-out walk in the ninth inning. Cody Bellinger pinch-hit and laced a single over second baseman Ozzie Albies’ head.
Looking to go first to third, Taylor raced around second base – then changed his mind and slammed on the brakes. Joc Pederson’s throw came in behind him and Taylor was caught in a rundown.
“It was just a bad read,” Taylor said. “I saw it barely got over Albies’ head and thought I could get to third. I didn’t realize Joc got it that quick and tried to stop. I should have kept going.
“As I was rounding second, I saw him get the ball sooner than I anticipated and I thought twice about not getting thrown out at third. Then he just threw it back behind me. … You don’t want to make the last out when you’re in scoring position.”
Taylor instead made the last out in the no-man’s land between second and third.
“CT being a little aggressive and got hung up there late, not giving Mookie (Betts) a chance with two outs – it happens,” Roberts said. “It’s baseball.”
The Dodgers’ pitching plan for the NLCS opener was definitely 21st-century baseball. Corey Knebel “opened” for the second consecutive game. He gave up a run on a wild pitch but the amalgam of relievers retired the next 11 Braves in a row before Riley ripped a solo home run into left field off Tony Gonsolin.
Fourteen of the next 16 Braves were retired as well with just a pair of singles that didn’t clear the infielders breaking up the monotony.
Three of those were retired by Kenley Jansen – in the eighth.
Roberts explained the decision to pitch Jansen ahead of Treinen as being a strategic decision to deploy Jansen against two left-handed hitters and save Treinen for right-handers Albies and Riley in the ninth.
“Kenley’s our closer,” Roberts said. “But I just felt that with the lefties looming – (Dansby) Swanson, the pinch-hitter, the two lefties at the top, I really liked Kenley right there.”
Ironically, Treinen struck out the left-handed Freeman to start the ninth. The switch-hitting Albies (batting left-handed) dropped a pop-up into center field for a single then stole second – exploiting a weakness of the Dodgers’ pitching staff all season.
That brought up Riley. Roberts dismissed the idea of intentionally walking Riley with first base open, saying he “didn’t like the matchup with Joc on deck.”
Riley stroked an 0-and-1 slider into left field for the walk-off hit.
“Hats off to him. He’s come a long way in a short time, I feel like,” Trea Turner said of his former NL East rival who has blossomed into an MVP candidate this season. “Even last year, I think that he didn’t have all these tools.
“He always had that power, but now he’s putting together such good at-bats. He’s hitting inside fastballs for homers, keeping them fair. He’s staying on Treinen’s slider. That’s a tough at-bat as well. So he’s a good hitter. He’s a polished hitter and hats off to him. … There’s a reason why fans are chanting MVP for him.”
Austin Riley wins it!!! #Walkoff pic.twitter.com/fjwi3xfo6M
— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2021
A wild end to the top of the 9th!
pic.twitter.com/24ZLeIsoLp
— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2021
A two-out rally ties this game at 1. pic.twitter.com/Cy05byp3Lu
— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2021
Big Hit Will. pic.twitter.com/ndkW4NBRhF
— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2021
Fire the laser!
Austin powers one out! pic.twitter.com/23KdmEwWgd
— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2021