They just need to take out the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are currently the champion.
It’s easier said than done.
The Braves were actually in the exact same situation last year, and they failed to complete the job.
Rosario scored twice in his second four hit game of the NL Championship Series. Six Atlanta pitchers combined for a four-hitter to give the Braves a 9-2 win Wednesday, giving them a commanding 3-1 lead over the best-of-7 playoff.
Los Angeles’ Game 5 will be played on Thursday. The Dodgers were also behind 0-2 against Atlanta in last year’s NLCS, but they rallied to win three consecutive games at Arlington, Texas, a neutral site.
Brian Snitker, Braves manager, stated that winning a game, especially with a veteran team such as ours, is difficult. “But, I feel good about the club based on what we saw last year and where these men are.”
The Braves also had Freddie Freeman and Adam Duvall homering for them. They bounced back from a late deficit Tuesday in an agonizing loss to end their 10-game skid at Dodger Stadium.
Rosario spoke through a translator, “I feel like everybody has really hunkered in and dug their heels into and everyone is really focused.” “That’s something I’m proud to be part of.
Rosario was the first player to record two four-hit games during a League Championship Series. Rosario drove in four runs, scored three and continued his postseason hitting. He finished the cycle a half-run short. He scored a homer in the first inning, doubled in third and fifth, and hit a three-run homer to the ninth.
Rosario stated, “As soon I hit that first homerun, I thought to myself, ” “Wow, this is amazing. “So, that confidence carried over into all my at-bats moving forward.”
Rosario scored the cycle against San Francisco last month, scoring on five pitches.
“I have been using the bat I hit for the cycles with and it has not disappointed. He said, “I had the double left and I was like, ‘Man! This bat has not let me down yet.'” “As soon I hit that second one out I’m like, ‘Oh well, there goes my double.’
To have a chance at another NLCS win, the Dodgers must jump-start their offense. Their first five hitters, Mookie Betts and Corey Seager, NL batting champion Trea Turn, Gavin Lux, Will Smith, and Gavin Luxembourg, were 0 for 17 in Game 4.
Los Angeles had won 18 out of 19 home games going back to the regular-season. It has now won six consecutive postseason elimination matches dating back to last year.
Dave Roberts, manager, said that he feels good about the situation. We have a resilient team and a very tough team. It’s not going get any harder than facing Max Fried in an eliminator game. But we’ve done that before.
Rosario was purchased from Cleveland by the Braves on July 30, as they remade their outfield prior to the trade deadline.
He’s such a treasure!
The left fielder has scored safely in all of this postseason’s games, with 14 hits in 30 at bats (.467) — including the walk-off in Game 2 against Los Angeles Dodgers.
Rosario is 17 for 17 (.588) and has two homers, six RBIs, and is currently in the NLCS.
Freeman stated, “He’s been looking great at the plate and hitting hard,”
Atlanta’s four homers set a postseason record.
In the final two innings, each of the three series’ games were decided by just one run. The wild-card Dodgers were unable to make a comeback when it was too late.
Atlanta opener Jesse Chavez joined Drew Smyly and Chris Martin to form a team with A.J. Minter, Tyler Matzek, and Will Smith helped to restrain the Dodgers’ offense. Los Angeles got one hit in the fifth, and only one the rest. Smyly pitched 3 1/3 innings to win the game.
The Braves jumped right on Julio Urias (20-game winner), who surrendered three homers over two innings. This was his second home run of this magnitude in his career. The first was in 2016’s second major league game.
Rosario drove a 0-2 pitch into the left field pavilion to begin the second. Duvall followed up with a shot to the center. This was the first homer by the Braves in the postseason against San Francisco since Oct. 3, 2002 in Game 2.
Freeman was deep in the third. Rosario tripled to deep right with a two-strike pitch two outs later. He slid headfirst into the bag.
Urias spoke through a translator, “He kinda smiled at me after it hit in there because it was one those things where it just, it was a hot hitter. He kind of knows where it’s going.”
Duvall was intentionally outwalked, and Joc Pererson singled, scoring Rosario to give Urias a 4-0 lead.
The Dodgers won 106 regular season games. They were 5-2 in fifth on pinch-hitter AJ Pollock’s two-out and two-run double. Justin Turner was the first to score and Cody Bellinger scored with a single.
Rosario was able to make it 6-2 with his RBI double in ninth.
Urias did not record a strikeout until fourth. Dansby Swanson (left-hander) and Freeman went down swinging back to back to end Urias’s first clean innings. In five innings, Urias allowed eight hits and five runs. He struck out three, and walked three.
CONNECT FOUR
Robin Yount, Milwaukee Brewers Hall of Famer, was the only player to have a pair of four-hit postseason games. He did it in 1982 against St. Louis.
TRAINER’S ROHROOM
Braves: RHP Huascar Yanoa was unable to make his scheduled start due to shoulder inflammation. Dylan Lee, a left-handed pitcher, was named his replacement. If the Braves advance, Ynoa will not be eligible to return to the World Series.
Dodgers: Justin Turner has been declared out of the Dodgers season due to an injury to his hamstring in seventh. Roberts stated. Turner shouted and cried as he was relieved on a double-play baseball. He was taken off the field by his legs and replaced by the eighth.
UP NEXT
Fried begins Game 5 in Los Angeles for the Braves. The Dodgers had a bullpen game planned, which they used twice in this postseason and went 1-1.
