The Los Angeles Dodgers headed to Washington for a crucial Game 3 in the NL Divisional round all tied at a game apiece.
A loss would put them behind the eight ball moving forward in their quest for a spot in the NLCS. Hyun-Jin Ryu took the mound for the Dodgers facing Anibal Sanchez for the Nationals.
Washington got on the board first when Juan Soto blasted a two-run home run to center in the first, scoring Adam Eaton.
Both pitchers put zeroes on the board for the next several innings until Max Muncy cut the Nationals’ lead to one on a solo home run to right-center.
Down 2-1 in the sixth, the Dodgers faced Patrick Corbin in his first inning in relief of Sanchez. Cody Bellinger singled to start the inning, but after consecutive strikeouts, the Nationals appeared to be in good shape to get out of the innings. However, the Dodgers did the unthinkable. David Freese knocked a pinch-hit single to right moving Bellinger to third. Russell Martin doubled, scoring two to put the Dodgers up, 3-2. After a Chris Taylor walk, Enrique Hernandez doubled to deep left scoring two. Muncy was intentionally walked and the Dodgers capped a seven-run inning with a home run by Justin Turner.
The Dodgers lead by an 8-2 score and the Nationals didn’t know what hit them.
Washington got to back in the bottom of the sixth to trim the deficit to four. Both teams got solid relief pitching over the next two innings, with neither team threatening to score.
The Dodgers added two in ninth for good measure on a Martin home run to left, scoring Freese. Los Angeles took the game by a 10-4 score to go ahead in the best of seven series, two games to one.
The improbable seven runs with two strikes and two outs in the sixth inning likely gave the Dodgers the momentum they need for the rest of the series, while the Nationals have to figure out what happened and regroup for tonight’s game.
Max Scherzer is on the mound for the Nationals against Rich Hill for the Dodgers.
With game five back in Los Angeles, the pressure is now on Washington to avoid a possible elimination game on Wednesday.
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