The Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday exploded for seven runs in the sixth inning on the way to a 10-4 victory over the Washington Nationals and a commanding lead in their playoff series.
The Dodgers, trying to get back to the World Series for a third straight year after falling to the Houston Astros in 2017 and the Boston Red Sox last year, lead their best-of-five National League Division Series 2-1.
Justin Turner’s three-run homer capped the sixth-inning outburst that included two-run doubles from catcher Russell Martin and pinch-hitter Enrique Hernandez.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The Dodgers became the first team in major league history to score so many runs in one playoff inning with two outs and two strikes.
The team trailed 2-1 going into the sixth after Juan Soto belted a two-run homer for the Nationals off Dodgers starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin in the first and Los Angeles’ Max Muncy hit a solo homer off Anibal Sanchez in the fifth.
Sanchez, who struck out nine, was replaced for the sixth by Patrick Corbin, who was charged with six runs.
“It felt nice to contribute,” said Martin, whose double to deep left center-field scored Cody Bellinger and David Freese to open the floodgates in the sixth. “We have a deep lineup so we kind of just pass the baton along and I came up with that big hit right there, got the guys going and then it just seemed like it was one good at-bat after good-at bat.”
“The next thing you know we had seven runs on the board,” said Martin, who added a two-run homer in the ninth
The winner of the series takes on either the Atlanta Braves or the St Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series with a World Series berth at stake.
The Braves rallied with three runs in the ninth inning to beat the Cardinals 3-1 in St Louis to take a 2-1 lead in their series.
The Braves, stymied all day by St Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright, broke through against Cardinals closing pitcher Carlos Martinez.
Josh Donaldson got the rally going with a double to start the ninth.
After two outs and an intentional walk to catcher Brian McCann, Dansby Swanson tied the game with a double to left field that plated one run.
Adam Duvall, who entered as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning, followed with a single that drove in two runs.
“They never quit,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of his team. “They never give up. The heart and desire and will is unbelievable in those guys.”
The Braves took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five National League Division Series. Until the Braves erupted in the ninth, it was a pitching duel.
Atlanta’s rookie hurler Mike Soroka limited the Cardinals to one run on two hits while striking out seven in his playoff debut.
St Louis scored their lone run in the second inning when Marcell Ozuna led off with a double and scored on Matt Carpenter’s sacrifice fly.
Wainwright, 38, turned back the clock, pitching 7-2/3 scoreless innings and striking out eight to keep the Cards in front until he exited to a standing ovation, but then had to watch from the dugout as the contest slipped away.
“We were one out away and that is exactly what playoff baseball is all about,” Wainwright said. “Just crazy stuff happens.”
The US’ bid for a fourth consecutive CONCACAF Nations League title came to a stunning end as they fell 1-0 to Panama after a stoppage-time goal from Cecilio Waterman on Thursday in Inglewood, California. Despite dominating possession, the US struggled to break down a resilient Panama side for long periods. Panama spent the bulk of the match defending, but pounced on a giveaway by the US before substitute forward Waterman sent a shot from the right side of the area to the bottom left corner late in stoppage time. Up next for Panama in tomorrow’s final is to be Mexico, who beat
DOMINATION: McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris took the first two spots as Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen followed them Australian Oscar Piastri yesterday roared back from season-opening disappointment in his home race by winning the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren one-two with championship-leading teammate Lando Norris. George Russell finished third for Mercedes, ahead of Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Saturday’s sprint winner Lewis Hamilton fifth and sixth respectively. Piastri’s win denied Norris a third victory in a row, including last year’s Abu Dhabi season-ender, but left champions McLaren unbeaten in two races so far this year. “Mega job guys. The car was very, very lovely,” Piastri said
TO FINAL FOUR: France had 22 chances and scored two goals, while Croatia could not manage a single shot on target in 120 minutes. Les Bleus won 5-4 on penalties France on Sunday overturned a two-goal deficit to qualify for the UEFA Nations League Final Four by eliminating Croatia 5-4 on penalties after a 2-0 victory in their quarter-final second leg at the Stade de France. Dayot Upamecano scored the winning spot kick in a nail-biting shootout in which France keeper Mike Maignan made two saves, sending Les Bleus into the semi-finals against Spain. Michael Olise opened the scoring and Ousmane Dembele doubled their lead 10 minutes from time to send the tie into extra time after their 2-0 loss in Split, Croatia, on Thursday. France had a total of
Armand Duplantis will be among the reigning Olympic champions adding star power to the world indoor championships this weekend when the Chinese city of Nanjing hosts the first major global athletics meet since the Paris Games last year. The three-day event was originally slated for 2020 and faced multiple postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Nanjing’s Sports Training Center would finally welcome more than 570 athletes for the start of the showpiece today. One of the main attractions would be pole vaulter “Mondo” Duplantis, who soared 6.27m to break the world record for a staggering 11th time in Clermont-Ferrand last
RSS