Yasiel Puig crushed a three-run shot in the top of the sixth and Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer in the second as the Dodgers won the pivotal Game 7 of the NLCS. Clayton Kershaw pitched the ninth inning for the Dodgers.
Previously:
Game 1: at Brewers 6, Dodgers 5
Game 2: Dodgers 4, at Brewers 3
Game 3: Brewers 4, at Dodgers 0
Game 4: at Dodgers 2, Brewers 1 (13)
Game 5: at Dodgers 5, Brewers 2
Game 6: at Brewers 7, Dodgers 2
Game 7: Dodgers 5, at Brewers 1
Watch the Dodgers celebrate their return to the World Series
Dodgers don’t score in top of ninth
TOP OF NINTH: Puig singled to third. Taylor doubled to left, Puig stopping at third. With the infield in, Barnes grounded to short. Matt Kemp hit for Jansen and was walked intentionally. Hernandez struck out looking. Muncy struck out swinging. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1
Dodgers win, 5-1, to advance to World Series
MILWAUKEE — The 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers have spent nearly seven months tormenting themselves and their fans, operating as if a pennant were their birthright. They tantalized with their talent and tortured with their results. They lost games when they shouldn’t have, but won every game that needed to be won. They required 163 games to win the division. If the commissioner’s office at Major League Baseball would have allowed it, the Dodgers would have taken the National League Championship Series to Game 8.
The route back to the World Series may have been circuitous, a journey of fits and starts and lineup alterations, but the destination remains as sweet. Because for the second season in a row, the Dodgers will reign as champions of the National League, downing the Milwaukee Brewers with a 5-1 victory in Game 7 of the NLCS. The Dodgers operated in this series as they have all season: They played themselves into a corner, and then muscled their way out.
The emotion and elation of this trek manifested in the persona of one man, Yasiel Puig, as he rounded the bases in Saturday’s sixth inning. He had just launched a three-run homer to break the tension of the early going. Upon contact, Puig flipped his bat. As he rounded first base, he turned to his dugout and chopped at his crotch. At third, he thumped his chest. After touching the plate, certifying his blast in Dodgers history, he wagged his tongue and accepted the adulation of his teammates.
The mob included all the stars from Saturday: Cody Bellinger, who provided a lead with a second-inning home run. Walker Buehler, who struck out seven during 4 2/3 innings and protected the advantage bequeathed to him. Chris Taylor, who stole a game-tying, extra-base hit from Brewers All-Star Chris Taylor in the fifth. The rest of the contributors resided in the relief corps, who silenced Milwaukee’s offense all series. Clayton Kershaw loped in from the bullpen to finish the ninth.
In the midst of the sixth-inning throng, manager Dave Roberts left the dugout’s top step to embrace Puig. The manager has emerged as the avatar for this club, the source of frustration for fans who have not embraced the Dodgers’ organizational philosophy emphasizing depth, versatility and sacrifice. The culture survived the frights of the regular season. The culture has carried the club through October.
This group has become the first Dodgers team since the 1977-1978 editions to win back-to-back pennants. The team aims to secure its first championship since 1988 when the World Series begins against Boston on Tuesday at Fenway Park. They enter the series in unfamiliar, but perhaps welcome territory. Against the 108-win Red Sox, who just steamrolled the defending champion Astros in the American League Championship Series, the Dodgers will be considered the underdogs.
It is a mantle they avoided all season. One day in September, Kenley Jansen fell into conversation with fellow reliever Ryan Madson, a veteran of championship teams in Philadelphia and Kansas City. Jansen mentioned how easy it was to find motivation for crucial series against contenders like Arizona and Colorado later in the season, when the division was at stake. Earlier in the season, the team had produced the same energy.
“Welcome to the hangover,” Madson told Jansen.
The cloud of the Game 7 loss to Houston to end 2017 still hovered over this club as 2018 began. When general manager Farhan Zaidi visited the Dodger Stadium weight room in the winter, his route carried him past a pallet of champagne, meant to be sprayed after Game 7 against Houston, left to ferment when the team lost. Roberts sought advice from owner Peter Guber, who also owns a portion of the Golden State Warriors, for how coach Steve Kerr revived his team after losing the NBA Finals in 2016.
The players twisted between reliving the frenzy of the World Series and placing it in their rear-view mirror. The regular season started with a slump. Turner missed 40 games with a broken wrist. Corey Seager underwent season-ending elbow surgery. Jansen struggled to recapture his fastball velocity. The team was 16-26 on May 16. Even after taking flight in the summer, the team still trailed in the division by 4 1/2 games on Aug. 22. After tying Colorado on the final weekend of the season, Buehler trounced the Rockies in the Oct. 1 tiebreaker at Dodger Stadium.
The playoffs featured four games against Atlanta, and then seven with Milwaukee. The Brewers rode their bullpen into the postseason, and they subjected their relievers to heavy usage against the Dodgers. The moments to strike were early, when their starters were still in the game.
Yet the Brewers landed the first blow on Saturday. It came off the bat of Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich. Buehler pumped a 98-mph fastball down the middle. Yelich roped the baseball into the right-center gap. Puig leapt at the wall, with his glove scraping the surface as the ball disappeared from sight on the solo homer.
Bellinger answered in the second. He was preceded by Manny Machado, who had been serenaded with jeers the night before. The crowd repeated the treatment as Machado arrived for his first at-bat of Game 7. Machado quieted the noise by dropping a bunt single on a 3-2 slider from Chacin. The hit prompted a response from Miller Park.
“You still suck!” the fans chanted. “You still suck!”
Bellinger wiped out that sentiment. He destroyed a 90-mph fastball from Chacin. The ball landed in the second deck of right field and gave the Dodgers a lead. Puig followed up with a double, but the Dodgers left him stranded on second base, with Josh Hader loosening up in the bullpen as Chacin waded through the bottom of the order.
Hader replaced Chacin for the third. He struck out two in a spotless inning. Buehler responded with his first 1-2-3 inning, then waded through a self-inflicted jam in the fourth. The trouble started when Brewers infielder Travis Shaw doubled off the right-field wall. Buehler came back to strike out first baseman Jesus Aguilar with a curveball and end the inning by whiffing catcher Erik Kratz with 98-mph heat.
Buehler could not make it through the fifth. He permitted a two-out double to outfielder Lorenzo Cain. Roberts made his move. He went with Julio Urias, who had appeared in only thee regular-season games, against Yelich, the likely National League MVP. Yelich smashed a 94-mph fastball into the left-center gap.
Sprinting toward the warning track was Chris Taylor. He had started the game at second base, then shifted into left field when Enrique Hernandez batted for Joc Pederson. Taylor weaved a path beneath the baseball’s flight and flung his glove in the air. He ripped the ball out of the sky and skidded across the dirt, the third out in his possession.
The offense awoke after Taylor’s save. The sixth inning began with singles from Max Muncy and Turner. Brewers reliever Jeremy Jeffress collected a pair of outs before Puig arrived. Jeffress tempted Puig with a curveball. Puig laced it beyond Cain’s reach in center field.
As Puig rounded the bases, a season’s worth of joy poured out of the Dodgers. After 163 regular season games, four with Atlanta and seven with Milwaukee, the team was headed back to where they felt they belonged from the beginning.
The World Series.
Dodgers are three outs away from advancing to World Series
BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: Cain grounded to the pitcher. Yelich struck out swinging. Braun strikes out swinging. Clayton Kershaw is warming up in the bullpen. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.
Dodgers go down swinging in top of eighth
TOP OF EIGHTH: Brandon Woodruff pitching. Turner strikes out swinging. Machado strikes out swinging. Bellinger struck out swinging. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1
Dodgers turn to Kenley Jansen to slow Brewers in the seventh
BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: Moustakas struck out swinging. Kratz grounded to short. Arcia singled to right. And, here’s a surprise, Kenley Jansen is coming into the game. He’ll probably finish this inning and pitch the eighth and give way to Clayton Kershaw. Curtis Granderson, batting for Knebel, struck out swinging. That’s the Curtis Granderson that Dodgers fans remember and love. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.
It’s 5-1 Dodgers after top of seventh
TOP OF SEVENTH: Madson struck out looking. Hernandez singled to second. Corey Knebel is coming in to pitch for the Brewers. Hernandez was caught stealing. Muncy struck out swinging. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.
Dodgers take 5-1 lead on Puig’s homer
TOP OF SIXTH: Xavier Cedeno pitching. Muncy singled to left. And that brings Jeremy Jeffress in the game to pitch to Turner, who singled to left, Muncy stopping at second. Machado flied to right. Bellinger grounded to second, forcing Turner, Muncy to third. Bellinger hustled down the line to just avoid the double play. Puig HOMERS TO CENTER! Dodgers lead, 5-1. Taylor walks. Barnes struck out looking. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.
Brewers go down in order in bottom of sixth
BOTTOM OF SIXTH: Ryan Madson pitching. Braun lines to center. Shaw flied to left. Aguilar struck out swinging. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.
Hey LeBron, pick a team
Chris Taylor’s incredible catch keeps Brewers from tying score
BOTTOM OF FIFTH: Arcia grounded to third. Domingo Santana, batting for Hader, struck out looking. Cain doubled to left. With left-hander Yelich at the plate, the Dodgers remove Buehler and counter with left-hander Julio Urias. Yelich lined to left, with Chris Taylor making one of the most incredible catches you will ever see. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1.
Dodgers strand runner on second in top of fifth
TOP OF FIFTH: Taylor walked. Barnes struck out swinging. Buehler sacrificed Taylor to second. Hernandez struck out swinging. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1.
Brewers don’t score in bottom of fourth
BOTTOM OF FOURTH: Shaw doubled to right-center as the ball was deflected by Puig. Aguilar struck out swinging. Moustakas flied to left. Kratz struck out swinging. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1.
Brewers don’t score in bottom of third
BOTTOM OF THIRD: Hernandez in at second. Taylor to left. Cain singled to right. Yelich grounds into a 6-3 double play. Braun struck out swinging. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1.
Dodgers still lead, 2-1, after top of fourth
TOP OF FOURTH: Machado singled to center. Bellinger grounded to second, forcing Machado. Puig grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1
Brewers strand two in bottom of second
BOTTOM OF SECOND: Jesus Aguilar struck out swinging. Mike Moustakas singles to right. Erik Kratz lined to left. Orlando Arcia singled to left, Moustakas stopping at second. Jonathan Schoop, batting for Chacin, grounded to third. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1.
Dodgers don’t score in top of third
TOP OF THIRD: Josh Hader now pitching. Kiké Hernandez, batting for Pederson, struck out swinging. Muncy struck out swinging. Turner lined to left. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1.
Bellinger’s blast puts Dodgers on top, 2-1
TOP OF SECOND: Manny Machado singled on a bunt to third. Cody Bellinger HOMERED TO RIGHT, scoring Machado. 2-1 Dodgers. Yasiel Puig doubled to right. Puig gave a crotch chop after stopping at second. The crowd hated it. Chris Taylor grounded to short. Austin Barnes flied to center. Walker Buehler popped to second. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1
Brewers take 1-0 lead on Yelich’s home run
BOTTOM OF FIRST: Lorenzo Cain struck out looking. Christian Yelich homered to center. Ryan Braun grounded to third. Travis Shaw struck out swinging. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0
Dodgers don’t score in top of first
NLCS Game 7. Dodgers vs. Brewers. Walker Buehler vs. Jhoulys Chacin. Win or go home. Pull up a chai and spend some time with us.
TOP OF FIRST: Joc Pederson grounded to second. Max Muncy walked. Justin Turner grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.
Dave Roberts discusses using Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw to pitch in Game 7
LeBron James shows his support for the Dodgers
Watch Dave Roberts talk about Walker Buehler
Tommy Lasorda is ready for Game 7
Dave Roberts on catcher Austin Barnes’ postseason play
Hulkamania is runnin’ wild at Game 7
I have a feeling that this isn’t the real Hulk Hogan.
Manny Machado seems ready for Game 7
Hall of Famer Robin Yount has pregame jitters
Kenley Jansen on going from 10 games under .500 to one win from the World Series
Clayton Kershaw will probably pitch at some point tonight
Father and son, ready for the game
And now, the starting lineup for your Los Angeles Dodgers
Here’s the Brewers’ Game 7 starting lineup
Brewers take 7-2 lead heading to the ninth
BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: Cain singled to left-center. That’s it for Maeda. Rich Hill is now in the game. Yelich walked. Braun struck out swinging. Perez grounded to short, forcing Yelich at second. Aguilar singled to right, scoring Cain. Moustakas grounded to second. BREWERS 7, DODGERS 2.
Dodgers lose to Brewers, 7-2
In the middle of the 8th inning on Friday, as the fans at Miller Park brayed invective at Manny Machado and flapped yellow towels to celebrate an impending 7-2 Brewers victory in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, an act occurred which could cost the Dodgers the pennant: A reliever sat down.
A night off for a relief pitcher rarely has long-ranging consequences. But Josh Hader, Milwaukee’s left-handed All-Star, is far from an ordinary reliever. He is a multi-inning demon, a pitcher who had logged three innings in Game 1, made a pair of scoreless appearances afterward and nearly struck out half the Dodgers he faced in the process.
When the Dodgers failed to stress reliever Corbin Burnes in the eighth, Hader ceased warming up. Granted three days of rest, his number will be called on Saturday, in Game 7 at Miller Park. Dumped into a first-inning hole by Hyun-Jin Ryu on Friday, the Dodgers could not stress the Milwaukee pitching staff enough to force Hader into the game. They could pay the price for their feeble hitting.
Brewers increase lead to 6-2
BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: Grandal catching. Kenta Maeda pitching. Aguilar doubled to deep right. It was an 11-pitch at-bat and Aguilar just hung in there. Dodgers challenged the ruling at second and the umpires ruled him safe. He looked out, though. Moustakas was walked intentionally. Curtis Granderson, batting for Kratz, struck out swinging. That’s the Curtis Granderson we remember and love. Arcia grounded to the pitcher, with the runners moving up to second and third. Domingo Santana, batting for Jeffress, was at the plate when Maeda threw a wild pitch that allowed Aguilar to score. Santana then struck out swinging.
Dodgers go down quietly in eighth
TOP OF EIGHTH: Manny Pina catching. Corbin Burnes pitching. Turner flied to right. Machado grounded to short. Bellinger flied to center. BREWERS 6, DODGERS 2
Dodgers don’t score in top of seventh
TOP OF SEVENTH: Jeremy Jeffress pitching. Dozier fouled to the catcher. Yasmani Grandal, batting for Ferguson, flied to left. Muncy struck out swinging.
Brewers don’t score in bottom of sixth, still lead 5-2
BOTTOM OF SIXTH: Pederson in at left field. Dylan Floro now pitching. Cain struck out looking. Yelich grounded to third. Braun singled off of Machado’s glove. The scorer ruled it a hit. That’s it for Floro. Caleb Ferguson is now pitching. Shaw struck out swinging.
Still Brewers 5, Dodgers 2 after five innings
BOTTOM OF FIFTH: Muncy to first base. Dozier to second. Freese, who has driven in both Dodger runs, out of the game. Alex Wood now pitching. Shaw walked. Aguilar struck out swinging. Moustakas struck out swinging. Kratz was hit by a pitch. Arcia was walked intentionally to load the bases for the pitcher, Knebel. Knebel struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 2.
Dodgers don’t score in top of sixth
TOP OF SIXTH: Bellinger grounded to first. Joc Pederson, batting for Taylor, was hit by a pitch. He was hit in the right wrist, and you could already see the bruise developing on TV. Puig flied to center. Barnes struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 2.
Julio Urias shuts down Brewers in bottom of fourth
BOTTOM OF FOURTH: Julio Urias is now pitching. Final line for Ryu: 3 IP, 7 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts. Cain grounded to the pitcher. Yelich struck out swinging. Braun struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1.
Dodgers close within 5-2 in top of fifth
TOP OF FIFTH: Barnes grounded to short. Brian Dozier, batting for Urias, walked. Freese doubled to center, Dozier scoring. Muncy walked, and that’s it for Miley. Corey Knebel is coming in to the game. Turner flied to center. Machado struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 2.
Dodgers don’t score in top of fourth
TOP OF FOURTH: Bellinger struck out. Taylor flied to left. Puig lined to center. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1.
Brewers finally stay off the scoreboard
BOTTOM OF THIRD: Kratz grounded to third. Arcia flied to left. Miley struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1
Dodgers go down in order in top of third
TOP OF THIRD: Muncy lined to left. Turner struck out swinging. Machado popped to short. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1.
Brewers score again, take 5-1 lead after two innings
BOTTOM OF SECOND: Cain flied to right. Yelich doubled to right center. Braun doubled to deep right-center, scoring Yelich. I can’t believe they are leaving Ryu in the game. Shaw grounded to short, Braun to third. Aguilar was walked intentionally. Moustakas struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1
Dodgers strand two in top of second, trail 4-1
TOP OF SECOND: Chris Taylor singled to center. Yasiel Puig flied to center. Barnes struck out swinging. Hyun-Jin Ryu singled to right, Taylor taking third. Freese fouled to first. BREWERS 4, DODGERS 1.
Brewers strike back and take 4-1 lead after one inning
BOTTOM OF FIRST: Lorenzo Cain singled to second. Christian Yelich grounded to third, Cain to second. Ryan Braun walked. Travis Shaw struck out swinging. Jesus Aguilar doubled to right, Cain and Braun scoring. Moustakas doubled to right, Aguilar scoring. Erik Kratz singled to right, Moustakas scoring. The wheels are coming off quickly. Arcia singled to left, Kratz to second. Wade Miley flied to center. BREWERS 4, DODGERS 1.
Dodgers take 1-0 lead on David Freese’s leadoff homer
NLCS Game 6. Dodgers vs. Brewers. Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. Wade Miley. Pull up a chair and spend some time with us.
TOP OF FIRST: David Freese homered to right-center. Max Muncy grounded to third. Justin Turner singled to center. Manny Machado struck out swinging. Cody Bellinger hit a grounder up the middle. Third baseman Mike Moustakas, swung over to the right side of the infield as part of the shift, made a diving grab and threw him out. Great play by Moustakas. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 0.
Dave Roberts on why Enrique Hernández is not in the NLCS Game 6 lineup
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explains why Enrique Hernández isn’t in the lineup for Game 6 of the National League Championship Series.
Dodgers unveil their Game 6 starting lineup (Spoiler: David Freese is batting leadoff)
Here is the Brewers’ Game 6 starting lineup
Dodgers’ Max Muncy finds his swing against Brewers’ unpredictable bullpen
Max Muncy stood at the plate one botched swing away from what would have been his third strikeout of the game. But this time, he knew what to do.
And the award for best supporting actor in a walk-on role goes to ... Brewers pitcher Wade Miley
The Milwaukee Brewers gave Wade Miley a mission a couple days ago and told him to keep it secret. He would start Wednesday’s game, but only in a cameo role. He could tell only a very few people within his circle of trust. He could not even tell all of his teammates.
Dodgers’ talent level always had World Series expectations despite the lows of their season
In retrospect, it’s curious the Dodgers were ever in the position they found themselves last month. The reasons they were in danger of missing the postseason remain a mystery, something worth looking into over this winter to ensure they don’t underperform to that degree again.
But today, after riding their deep talent advantage to a 3-2 lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers are a win away from where many thought they would be — back in the World Series.
1988 or 2018? Dodgers gave us a throwback to an old-school style of play in their Game 5 victory
Clayton Kershaw delivers a solid performance in the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory over Brewers in Game 5 of NLCS
The opposing starter had departed after facing only one batter, but there Clayton Kershaw stood, on the mound in the center of Dodger Stadium, a living, breathing anachronism for seven innings in an 5-2 victory in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. The starting pitcher may be going the way of the dodo, but Kershaw is still holding firm, even as his fastball dims and his mileage increases. He is not ready for extinction.
Dodgers win, 5-2 to take 3-2 NLCS lead
TOP OF NINTH: Caleb Ferguson pitching. Yelich grounded to first. Ryan Madson comes in to pitch to Braun, who grounded to short. Aguilar doubled to center. Curtis Granderson, batting for the pitcher, doubled to right, scoring Aguilar. That brings Kenley Jansen into the game. Moustakas struck out swinging. Dodgers win, 5-2.
Dodgers lead 5-1 after eight innings
BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: Perez at shortstop, Shaw at second. Zach Davies pitching. Taylor popped to second. Puig doubled to center. While Barnes struck out swinging, Puig stole third. Matt Kemp, batting for Baez, grounded to short. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.
Dodgers lead, 5-1, after top of eighth
TOP OF EIGHTH: Dozier to second base. Taylor to left field. Pedro Baez pitching. Shaw lined to center. Domingo Santana, batting for Cedeno, struck out swinging. Cain lined to center. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.
Dodgers score twice in seventh, take 5-1 lead
BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: Joakim Soria pitching. Barnes struck out swinging. Kershaw walked. Bellinger doubled to center, Kershaw to third. Turner singled to center, Kershaw scoring, Bellinger stopping at third with Turner taking second when Cain threw home. That’s it for Soria. Xavier Cedeno pitching. Brian Dozier, batting for Pederson, hit a slow roller to third, scoring Bellinger. Dozier out at first, Turner to third. Machado was walked intentionally. Muncy struck out swinging. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.
Clayton Kershaw’s line for the day
Kershaw’s final line: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO, 1 HR. 98 pitches, 69 for strikes. Pedro Baez comes into the game to start the eighth with the Dodgers leading, 5-1.
Kershaw continues to mow down the Brewers
TOP OF SEVENTH: Puig to right field. Bellinger to center. Taylor to second. Kershaw still pitching. Perez struck out swinging. Moustakas grounded to first. Kratz grounded to short. Great game by Kershaw. DODGERS 3, BREWERS 1
Dodgers take 3-1 lead in bottom of sixth
BOTTOM OF SIXTH: Turner singled to right-center. Pederson struck out swinging. Machado was hit by a pitch. That’s not retaliation. You are not going to hit him on purpose in this situation. Muncy singled to left-center, Turner scoring, Machado stopping at second. That’s it for Woodruff, who pitched well. Corbin Burnes now pitching. Taylor struck out looking. Yasiel Puig, hitting for Hernandez, singled to center, Machado scoring, Muncy thrown out attempting to go to third. DODGERS 3, BREWERS 1.
Brewers don’t score in top of sixth
TOP OF SIXTH: Yelich flied to center. Braun grounded to the pitcher. Aguilar struck out swinging. Through six innings, Kershaw has given up three hits, two walks, one run and struck out eight on 88 pitches. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
Austin Barnes’ RBI single ties score in bottom of fifth
BOTTOM OF FIFTH: Taylor reached first on a single to short and took second on Arcia’s throwing error. With Hernandez at the plate, Taylor stole third. Hernandez struck out swinging. Barnes singled to center, Taylor scoring. Kershaw sacrificed Barnes to second. Bellinger struck out swinging. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
Brewers go down in order in top of fifth
TOP OF FIFTH: Arcia struck out swinging. Woodruff struck out swinging. Cain flied to center. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0
Brewers don’t score in top of fourth
TOP OF FOURTH: OK, a lot of defensive changes. Joc Pederson in the game to left field. Taylor moves to center field. Muncy to first base. Bellinger to right field. Hernandez to second base. Freese is out of the game. Perez grounded to third. Moustakas flied to center. Kratz grounded to short and is called safe on a bang-bang play at first. The Dodgers ask for a review and the call is overturned. Kratz is out. Inning over. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0.
Dodgers trail, 1-0, after four innings
BOTTOM OF FOURTH: Pederson singled to right. Machado grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Muncy struck out swinging.
Dodgers have no runs, no hits through three innings
BOTTOM OF THIRD: Austin Barnes struck out swinging. Clayton Kershaw walked. Walking the pitcher almost never turns out well. Bellinger struck out swinging. Turner grounded to short, forcing Kershaw at second. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0.
Brewers take 1-0 lead, leave bases loaded in top of third
TOP OF THIRD: Erik Kratz just missed a home run down the left-field line, then struck out swinging. Orlando Arcia singled to left. Brandon Woodruff walked. Walking the pitcher almost never works out well. Cain doubled to center, Arcia scoring, Woodruff stopping at third. Yelich struck out swinging. Braun walked. Aguilar struck out swinging. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0.
No score after two innings
BOTTOM OF SECOND: Max Muncy struck out swinging. Chris Taylor grounded to short. Kiké Hernandez lined to second. This is feeling like a repeat of last night’s game. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.
Brewers don’t score in top of second
TOP OF SECOND: Jesus Aguilar grounded to short. Hernan Perez grounded to the pitcher. Mike Moustakas struck out swinging. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0
No score after one inning
BOTTOM OF FIRST: Cody Bellinger walked. And that’s it for Wade Miley. Brandon Woodruff is in to pitch. No injury to Miley, just strategy. Six of the next eight hitters are righties, so the Brewers bring in a right-hander. Justin Turner was hit by a pitch. David Freese struck out swinging. Manny Machado grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0
Brewers don’t score in top of first
NLCS Game 5. Dodgers vs. Brewers. Clayton Kershaw vs. Wade Miley. Pull up a chair and spend some time with us.
TOP OF FIRST: Lorenzo Cain singled to center. It looked like Bellinger might have caught it, but umpires say no. Dodgers ask for a review. Call stands. Christian Yelich lined to center. Ryan Braun at the plate. Cain was caught stealing. He had the base stolen, but came off the bag. Brewers manager Craig Counsell, who spends more time on the field than his players, disagrees. Braun struck out swinging. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0
Dodgers’ Manny Machado is fined but not suspended by MLB after Game 4 incident
Manny Machado has been fined by Major League Baseball for the incident that sparked a bench-clearing event Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
The league does not announce player discipline beyond suspensions, but the fine was confirmed to The Times by a person familiar with the matter but not authorized to discuss it. The amount of the fine is not known.
Clayton Kershaw on the pressure to win
Clayton Kershaw on whether NLCS Game 5 could be his last start for the Dodgers
Pitcher Clayton Kershaw comments on NLCS Game 5 and whether it could be his last start as a Dodger.
Dieter Ruehle and the return of the organ
Watch Cody Bellinger’s game-winning hit
Dodgers shake up their lineup for Game 5
Dave Roberts talks about the Brewers’ bullpen and when to bunt
Here is the Brewers’ Game 5 starting lineup
Kenley Jansen talks about his two-inning outing
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw hasn’t decided on opt-out clause — yet
Clayton Kershaw cannot say he has not thought about the opt-out clause in his contract. He might not linger on the topic internally, but he has heard questions about it more often as the prospect of free agency draws near. Kershaw can opt out of the final two years and $65 million remaining in his deal with the Dodgers soon after the World Series ends. His answer to those repeated questions has not changed.
The ball’s in Clayton Kershaw’s hands now
Clayton Kershaw will pitch the pivotal fifth game of the National League Championship Series today, a contest that will either move the Dodgers to the brink of a second consecutive World Series appearance or a step closer to being eliminated by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Brewers, Orel Hershiser take aim at Manny Machado for his questionable play
There is no love lost between Manny Machado and the Milwaukee Brewers. On the night Machado nearly tripped up their first baseman, and the night after Machado twice grabbed the Brewers shortstop in trying to break up a double play, the Brewers players wasted no words in expressing their anger at the Dodgers shortstop.
Fans were a big part of Dodgers’ Game 4 victory
A day after Enrique Hernandez criticized the Dodger Stadium crowd for its lack of energy, hours after he apologized for that critique, Chavez Ravine was filled Tuesday with the noisy joy of amends.
Cody Bellinger walks it off in the 13th to pull the Dodgers even with the Brewers in NLCS series
After five hours and 15 minutes of agonizing baseball, the participants and spectators at Dodger Stadium received a respite. Cody Bellinger ripped a single. Manny Machado hustled from second base. The ballpark shook as Machado slid across home plate for the winning run in the 13th inning of a 2-1 victory over Milwaukee in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.
Julio Urias talks about getting the win in Game 4
Cody Bellinger talks about his game-winning hit
Manny Machado talks about his run-in with Jesus Aguilar
Dodgers win, 2-1, on Cody Bellinger’s single
BOTTOM OF 13TH: Muncy lined to left. Machado singled to left. Dozier fouled to third. Machado took second on a wild pitch. Bellinger singled to right, Machado scoring. Dodgers win, 2-1.
Dodgers 1, Brewers 1 after top of 13th
TOP OF 13TH: Julio Urias now pitching. The Dodgers only have starting pitchers remaining. Yelich grounded to second. Braun singled to left. Aguilar flied to center. Moustakas struck out looking. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 1.
We go to the 13th
BOTTOM OF 12TH: Pederson grounded to short. Taylor popped to first. Turner grounded to second. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 1.
Brewers don’t score in top of 12th
TOP OF 12TH: Dylan Floro pitching. Grandal stays in the game at catcher. Arcia grounded to third. Guerra struck out swinging. Cain struck out swinging. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
It’s 1-1 after 11 innings
BOTTOM OF 11TH: Guerra still pitching. Bellinger struck out swinging. Yasmani Grandal, batting for Wood, struck out swinging. Barnes fouled to first. The Dodgers have made 33 outs tonight, 17 by strikeout. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1
Brewers go down quickly in top of 11th
TOP OF 11TH: Alex Wood pitching. Moustakas grounded to third. Schoop grounds to short. Kratz struck out swinging. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
Dodgers don’t score in bottom of 10th
BOTTOM OF 10TH: Junior Guerra pitching. Muncy struck out swinging. Machado grounded to short. He ran inside the baseline, and dragged his foot across first baseman Aguilar’s ankle. Joe Buck and John Smoltz are criticizing Machado, and it was sort of a dirty play. The benches emptied, but nothing happened. Dozier struck out looking. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
Brewers don’t score in top of 10th
TOP OF 10TH: Jansen still pitching. Cain lined to right-center. Bellinger made an outstanding catch, robbing Cain of extra bases. Bellinger must have slid about 100 yards after making the catch. Yes I am exaggerating. Yelich popped to third. Braun singled to center. Aguilar struck out swinging. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
We go to extra innings
BOTTOM OF NINTH: Corey Knebel pitching. Barnes grounded to short. Pederson struck out swinging. Taylor walked. Turner lined to center. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
It’s 1-1 going into the bottom of the ninth
TOP OF NINTH: Kenley Jansen pitching. Schoop grounded to the pitcher. Pina walked. Hernan Perez ran for Pina. Arcia grounded to third, Perez to second. Travis Shaw, batting for Hader, Shaw struck out swinging. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
The ‘Going Yard Sausage’ is for Dodgers fans willing to go the distance
When we did a Twitter poll asking you to select which of the new food items available at Dodger Stadium during the NLCS I’d be eating tonight, I didn’t think much of it. After all, sausage, cheese fries are standard stadium fare, and esquite can be found all across the greater Los Angeles area.
I still didn’t think much of what I was doing after the “Going Yard Sausage” emerged victorious three hours later. Imagine my surprise, then, when after walking up to the concession stand and placing my order, I was handed the monstrosity below.
I didn’t realize that the name “Going Yard Sausage” was more than just a reference to a popular baseball adage for home run. While not exactly a full yard, this jalapeño bacon cheddar sausage topped with roasted corn, grilled onions, avocado and crema was a whopping 16.5 inches long. It was more food than any mortal man could consume in one sitting. Still, I pressed on. Because #journalism.
I’ve seen enough Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contests in my lifetime to know that it’s best to attack tubular meats by breaking it up into parts. It took me most of the top of the first inning to eat all the toppings. It helped to approach the avocado, roasted corn and grilled onions as a salad. It just so happens that this salad was on top of a franken-hot dog.
Innings 2 and 3 were devoted to the main event. It wasn’t easy, but after breaking the sausage into parts and treating it like 3 hot dogs helped a lot. So did the unlimited amounts of soda I may or may not have consumed to keep the food down. (Thanks, Joey Chestnut for teaching me this move).
I won’t lie: it was tough, but it was also very delicious.
The meat sweats kicked in by the fifth inning, made more intense by the continuous cheers of the Dodger faithful refusing to be perceived as a fairweather fan base. Because credentialed press are supposed to be objective, we aren’t given rally towels like everyone else inside this stadium. It makes complete sense and it’s a good policy. Still. I wish i had something to wipe my brow with.
By the time the seventh inning stretch, I finally had enough energy and will power to stand on my own to feet, singing along to the Dieter Ruehle organ-led “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” replacing the references to peanuts and cracker jacks with Tums and Pepto-Bismol.
It’s the eighth inning as of this writing, and by all accounts, it looks like the “Going Yard Sausage” is saying down and isn’t exiting my body with the the velocity of a Manny Machado ball heading towards the stands.
All in all, I’d definitely recommend the “Going Yard Sausage” to any family of three, or to any person who’s totally comfortable eating a meal every third day.
Dodgers can’t cash in in bottom of eighth
BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: Josh Hader pitching. Muncy singled to center. Machado struck out swinging. Dozier grounded to third, forcing Muncy at second. Bellinger singled against the shift, Dozier to third. Kemp struck out swinging. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
Brewers don’t score in top of eighth
TOP OF EIGHTH: Yelich singled to short. Braun struck out swinging. Aguilar popped to first. Moustakas hit a liner in the gap in left-center, but Pederson ran it down. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
Dodgers 1, Brewers 1 after seven innings
BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: Joakin Soria pitching. Barnes singled to center. Joc Pederson popped to third. Taylor struck out swinging. Turner flied to right. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
Brewers waste leadoff double
TOP OF SEVENTH: Kenta Maeda pitching. Cody Bellinger to center field. Pina doubled to center. Arcia flied to left. Curtis Granderson was announced for Burnes. That brought Dave Roberts to the mound to replace Maeda with Caleb Ferguson to get the lefty-on-lefty matchup. Granderson flied to DEEP center, Pina taking third. That brought Dave Roberts out to the mound again to replace Ferguson with Ryan Madson. Also, Joc Pederson came in to play left. Taylor moved to right and Puig went to the bench. Cain grounded to second. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
Dodgers 1, Brewers 1 after six innings
BOTTOM OF SIXTH: Dozier was hit by a pitch. Bellinger flied to left. Puig struck out swinging. With Barnes at the plate, Dozier was caught stealing. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1
Brewers don’t score in top of sixth
TOP OF SIXTH: Pedro Baez now pitching. Braun singled to left. Aguilar struck out swinging. Moustakas popped to first. Schoop struck out swinging. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
Dodgers 1, Brewers 1 after five innings
BOTTOM OF THE FIFTH: Corbin Burnes pitching. Turner struck out swinging. Muncy grounded to second. Machado struck out looking. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
Rich Hill takes his anger out on poor, defenseless candy
Brewers tie it up in the fifth
TOP OF FIFTH: Pina struck out looking. Arcia singled to center. Domingo Santana, batting for Peralta, doubled to center, scoring Arcia. Cain grounded to short. Yelich struck out swinging. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.
Dodgers lead, 1-0, after four innings
BOTTOM OF FOURTH: Barnes struck out swinging. Hill tried to bunt his way on, but was thrown out by the pitcher. Taylor struck out looking. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 0.
Brewers don’t score in top of fourth
TOP OF FOURTH: Aguilar singled to right. Moustakas struck out swinging. Schoop grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 0.
Dodgers lead 1-0 after three innings
BOTTOM OF THIRD: Machado grounded to second. Dozier walked. With Hernandez batting, Dozier stole second. Hernandez struck out looking. Puig struck out looking. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 0.
That’s why it is called the hot corner
Brewers don’t score in top of third
TOP OF THIRD: Muncy in at third. Freddy Peralta grounded to second. Cain struck out swinging. Yelich walked. Braun grounded to third. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 0
Dodgers leave bases loaded in bottom of second
BOTTOM OF SECOND: Yasiel Puig hit a high bouncer up the middle that Gonzalez jumped for. He twisted his left ankle coming down, Puig reaching first on a single. Gonzalez looked to be in quite a bit of pain and was limping, but convinced the Brewers trainer, and manager Craig Counsell that he could stay in the game. The next batter, Austin Barnes, showed like he was bunting on the first pitch. Gonzalez rushed off the mound and winced in pain. That’s it for Gonzalez, who said a word I don’t believe you are supposed to say on TV. Freddy Peralta is coming in to pitch for the Brewers now. Austin Barnes walked. First and second, no one out. Rich Hill bunted into a force play at third. First and second, one out. Taylor struck out swinging for a home run. Turner walked. Max Muncy, batting for Freese now that a right-hander is in the game, struck out looking. Wasted opportunity there. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 0.
Brewers strand two in top of second
TOP OF SECOND: Jesus Aguilar walked. Mike Moustakas fouled to third. Jonathan Schoop struck out swinging. Manny Pina walked. Orlando Arcia flied to right.
And the heartburn goes to.......
Dodgers take 1-0 lead on Brian Dozier’s RBI single
BOTTOM OF FIRST: Chris Taylor walked. Justin Turner grounded to the pitcher, Taylor to second. David Freese was hit by a pitch. On a 3-0 count. Gonzalez’s command is not stellar tonight. Manny Machado fouled to first. Brian Dozier singled to left, Taylor scoring, Freese to second. Kiké Hernandez, who changed his walkup song to “Sorry” by Justin Bieber, flied to right. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 0.
Brewers are quiet in first inning
NLCS Game 4. Dodgers vs. Brewers. D. Mountain vs. Gio Gonzalez. Pull up a chair and spend some time with us.
TOP OF FIRST: Lorenzo Cain struck out swinging. Christian Yelich grounded to first. Ryan Braun flied to center. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.
Fans are plenty loud already
Clayton Kershaw on opt-out clause: ‘I have not made a decision’
Clayton Kershaw cannot say he has not thought about the opt-out clause in his contract. He might not linger on the topic internally, but he has heard questions about it more often as the prospect of free agency draws near. Kershaw can opt out of the final two years and $65 million remaining in his deal with the Dodgers soon after the World Series ends. His answer has not changed.
“I have not made a decision,” Kershaw said before Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Brewers.
Rich Hill on ‘breaking points’
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s......
Dieter Ruehle discusses his music selections
Clayton Kershaw talks fan energy
Dodgers reveal their Game 4 starting lineup (Yasmani Grandal is not in it)
Here is the Brewers’ Game 4 starting lineup
Dave Roberts on preparing for multiple pitchers
Kiké Hernandez apologizes for criticizing Dodgers fans
Kiké Hernandez, who appeared to pin some of the blame for the Game 3 loss to Milwaukee on the fans, has released an apology on Twitter today.
Last night, after the 4-0 loss, Hernandez said, “It’s the playoffs, you’ve got to want it. Today just wasn’t our day. We had no energy. The stadium had no energy. The fans had no energy. Overall, it was a pretty bad game for everybody who calls themselves Dodgers…. It was a playoff game, and it didn’t feel like a playoff game. Not just because of the fans, but because of how we were playing the game.”
Dodgers’ Rich Hill prepared to take on any pitching duty
Rich Hill walked down to the visitors’ bullpen at Miller Park in the eighth inning Saturday just in case. The Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers were tangled in a tight affair. Extra innings were possible, and if the game ventured beyond the ninth frame, the Dodgers, who only had one reliever remaining by the end of the game, would’ve given the ball to Hill.
It would’ve been an appropriate outing for Hill, who’s spent the last couple weeks unsure of his next assignment. But the Dodgers pulled it out in nine innings so Hill’s original assignment – starting Game 4 – remained unchanged.
On a breezy night at the Ravine, low-energy Dodgers are cooled off by Brewers in NLCS Game 3
The fans jeered the catcher and begged for his backup. The starting pitcher stared in disbelief as a home run disappeared from sight. The hitters spiked bats in the grass and slammed equipment in the dugout. The discontent overflowed at Dodger Stadium as the Milwaukee Brewers collected a 4-0 victory in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Monday to secure a two-games-to-one advantage.
The game featured a sampling of this summer’s Dodgers lowlights. Yasmani Grandal failed to smother a wild pitch that let in a run, then heard chants for backup Austin Barnes after committing a passed ball. Walker Buehler lasted until the seventh inning, in which he gave up a two-run home run to slap-hitting shortstop Orlando Arcia. The offense struck out 14 times and was hitless in 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position, including a stomach-turning ninth inning.
Boo birds give Yasmani Grandal an earful
When the Dodger Stadium faithful booed pitcher Pedro Baez last season, Dave Roberts responded with combative adjectives.
“Ridiculous” was one. “Irresponsible” was another.
There was no such fire in Roberts’ retort Monday night, after a sellout crowd booed Yasmani Grandal.
The Dodgers catcher committed his third passed ball in two starts, and he failed to corral a wild pitch that caromed away from him as a run scored.
He also struck out three times, twice when even a fly ball would have scored a run.
Dodgers homers are hushed in dead-silent NLCS defeat
Dodger Stadium is loud in October, and not because the public address system is set to release sound at unreasonably high volumes. Whatever outsiders say about the spectators here showing up late and departing early, these fans can unleash thunderous howls that can be heard on the concrete banks of the Los Angeles River. In their most raucous moments, they make this place shake, literally.
Blue Heaven on Earth, as Tommy Lasorda calls the 56-year-old stadium, was dead Monday night. And who could blame the crowd?
Bumbling Dodgers are a bust in the Santa Ana wind
The guttural roar heard throughout Dodger Stadium early Monday afternoon was a current of air whipping down from the Elysian Hills, bending palms, toppling trash cans.
By nightfall, though, the whoosh wasn’t the wind, it was the wipeout.
It was the sound of Dodgers flailing at Milwaukee Brewer fastballs with their useless bats. It was Cody Bellinger waving at a fly ball he did not catch. It was Yasmani Grandal whiffing at just about everything, everywhere, at the plate, behind the plate, you name it.
In the end, that rumble was also boos — those rare postseason boos — as the Dodgers meekly fell to the Brewers, 4-0, in Game 3 of the best-of-seven National League Championship Series.
Brewers defeat the Dodgers, 4-0
BOTTOM OF NINTH: Jeremy Jeffress now pitching. Turner singled to center. Machado doubled to left, Turner to third. Bellinger popped to short. Puig walked. Grandal struck out swinging. Dozier struck out looking. The Dodgers had their chances tonight, they just couldn’t get the key hit when they needed it. BREWERS 4, DODGERS 0
Don’t leave! The game isn’t over!
Dodgers three outs way from falling behind 2-1 in NLCS
TOP OF NINTH: Dylan Floro pitching. Freese at first base. Kemp in left field. Kratz walked. Arcia grounded to third, forcing Kratz at second. Perez singled to left, Arcia stopping at second. Cain struck out swinging and the Brewers attempted a double steal, with Grandal throwing Perez out at second. Grandal finally did something right. BREWERS 4, DODGERS 0.
Dodgers don’t score in bottom of the eighth
BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: Joakim Soria pitching. Chris Taylor fouled to first.. Josh Hader pitching. David Freese, batting for Pederson, struck out swinging. Matt Kemp, batting for Muncy, struck out swinging. BREWERS 4, DODGERS 0.
Brewers don’t score in top of eighth
TOP OF EIGHTH: Alex Wood pitching. Chris Taylor in at second. Yelich reached on a bunt single. Braun hit into a rare force play to the right fielder, with Puig able to throw Yelich out at second. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Braun took second on a passed ball by Grandal. Shaw struck out swinging. Domingo Santana, hitting for Knebel, was walked intentionally. Moustakas flied to right. BREWERS 4, DODGERS 0
Dodgers go down swinging in the seventh
BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: Puig struck out swinging. Grandal struck out swinging. Hernandez struck out swinging. BREWERS 4, DODGERS 0
Dodgers strand runner on second in bottom of sixth
BOTTOM OF SIXTH: Muncy struck out swinging. Turner reached second on a throwing error by third baseman Moustakas. That’s it for Chacin, who pitched really well. Hernan Perez coming in to play second. Shaw moving to first, replacing Aguilar. Corey Knebel now pitching. Machado grounded to third. Bellinger struck out swinging.
Brewers take 4-0 lead on Orlando Arcia’s two-run homer
TOP OF SEVENTH: Buehler still pitching. You have to figure this is his last inning, because he is nearing 100 pitches and is due to bat fourth in the bottom of the seventh. Moustakas grounded to second. Kratz doubled to left. Arcia homered to right. Perez lined to right. Cain lined to center. BREWERS 4, DODGERS 0.
Dodgers are down 1-0 after five innings
BOTTOM OF FIFTH: Grandal hit a ground-rule double to left. Hernandez flied to left. Buehler struck out looking. Pederson lined to center. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0
Brewers take 2-0 lead in top of sixth
TOP OF SIXTH: Yelich grounded to short. Braun grounded to short. Shaw tripled to center. Not easy to hit a triple in Dodger Stadium. With Aguilar up, Shaw scored on a wild pitch. It was a ball in the dirt and one Grandal should have stopped. Aguilar grounded to third. BREWERS 2, DODGERS 0
Dodgers still trail, 1-0, after four innings
BOTTOM OF FOURTH: Machado walked. Bellinger grounded to first, forcing Machado. The return throw got past the pitcher covering, but not far enough away for Bellinger to advance. Then, on appeal, they called Bellinger out too because Machado interfered with the throw, attempting to grab the guy’s leg. That’s the Chase Utley rule in effect. Puig grounded to third. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0.
Brewers don’t score in top of fifth
TOP OF FIFTH: Arcia struck out swinging. Chacin struck out swinging. Cain grounded to second. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0. Through five innings, Buehler has giving up two hits, one walk, one run and struck out eight.
Brewers don’t score in top of fourth
TOP OF FOURTH: Shaw grounded to the pitcher. Aguilar grounded to second. Aguilar grounded to second. Moustakas singled to center. Kratz popped to second. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0.
Brewers 1, Dodgers 0 after three innings
BOTTOM OF THIRD: Pederson grounded to short. Muncy flied to left. Turner grounded to third. Both pitchers have settled into a groove. How long does Counsell let Chacin go before going to his legendary bullpen? BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0
Brewers go down in order in top of third
TOP OF THIRD: Cain lined to center. Yelich grounded to short. Braun struck out swinging. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0
Dodgers leave the bases loaded in bottom of the second
BOTTOM OF SECOND: Manny Machado singled to left. Cody Bellinger grounded to second, forcing Machado at second. Yasiel Puig doubled to left, Bellinger stopping at third. Yasmani Grandal, swinging for a home run instead of just trying to put the ball in play and score a run, struck out swinging. Kiké Hernandez was walked intentionally. Walker Buehler struck out looking.
Brewers don’t score in top of second
TOP OF SECOND: Mike Moustakas struck out swinging. Erik Kratz struck out looking. Orlando Arcia reaches first on a fielding error by Manny Machado at short. Jhoulys Chacin popped to second. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0
Watch Ben Stein re-create his ‘Ferris Bueller’ role for FS1 opening to Dodgers-Brewers game
This was going great until they inexplicably stuck Ken Rosenthal in there to say some words. First off, it seems like Rosenthal never saw the movie because he reads the lines so straight. Secondly, it should have been Kiké Hernandez with that part in the video. But an ‘A’ for effort Fox.
Brewers lead 1-0 after one inning
BOTTOM OF FIRST: Joc Pederson struck out looking. Max Muncy struck out swinging. Justin Turner grounded to short. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0.
Brewers take 1-0 lead in top of first
Dodgers vs. Brewers. NLCS Game 3. Walker Buehler vs. Jhoulys Chacin. Pull up a chair and spend some time with us.
TOP OF FIRST: Lorenzo Cain struck out swinging. Christian Yelich walked. Ryan Braun doubled to left, scoring Yelich. Travis Shaw struck out looking. Jesus Aguilar struck out swinging. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0.
That is one big plane
Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has entered Dodger Stadium
A look at tonight’s rally towels (Spoiler alert: They’re blue)
Dave Roberts on the Santa Ana winds
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts comments on the Santa Ana winds and how they might affect Game 3 of the NLCS.
Watch Manny Machado take batting practice
The best part of batting practice: You don’t have to run hard to first base after you hit the ball.
Which dish would you eat?
On one side, a hamburger topped with pepper jack cheese, candied bacon, onion rings and spicy aioli. On the other side, a bulgogi bowl that looks like it has been sitting out in the sun too long. Which one would you choose?
Ever-confident Walker Buehler is raring to deliver for Dodgers against Brewers
In the fall of 2012, a gangly 18-year-old from Lexington, Ky., matriculated to Vanderbilt. He had turned down an offer to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates so he could play college baseball. His stature would draw comparisons to Tim Lincecum, and his arsenal would one day remind his big league catcher of Justin Verlander. But Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin saw a different pitcher when he watched the teenage Walker Buehler.
“I thought he looked like Orel Hershisher,” Corbin said of the former Dodgers ace. “The arm stroke was similar. He had similar movements. The body type is similar. Orel might be a little taller, but I thought they were very alike, in terms of how they went about pitching.”
Chris Taylor talks about his 2018 season
Dodgers announce their Game 3 starting lineup
Here is the Brewers’ Game 3 lineup
Dodgers defeat Brewers, 4-3, to even series
BOTTOM OF NINTH: Kenley Jansen pitching. Arcia popped to third. Perez walked on what looked like strike three. Cain struck out swinging. Yelich batting. Perez stole second. Yelich grounded to third. DODGERS 4, BREWERS 3
Still 4-3 Dodgers heading into bottom of the ninth
TOP OF NINTH: Manny Pina catching. Xavier Cedeno pitching. Pederson singled to center. Junior Guerra replaces Cedeno. Puig grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. Barnes struck out looking. DODGERS 4, BREWERS 3.
Dodgers lead, 4-3, after eight innings
BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: Domingo Santana, batting for Knebel, struck out swinging. Caleb Ferguson replaces Pedro Baez at pitcher. Moustakas walked. Shaw grounded to third, forcing Moustakas at second. Curtis Granderson is up, batting for Kratz, and that brings Kenta Maeda in to pitch. Granderson is the guy the Dodgers acquired at the trade deadline last season who played so poorly he was left off the World Series roster. Granderson flied to deep right, and while Dodger fans had a collective heart attack, Puig made the catch. DODGERS 4, BREWERS 3.
Dodgers take 4-3 lead on Justin Turner’s two-run homer
TOP OF EIGHTH: Turner singled to third. Turner homered to left, 4-3 Dodgers. That will do it for Jeffress, who is replaced by Corey Knebel. There’s more noise in a monastery than there is in Miller Park right now. Muncy singled to left. Machado grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. Bellinger popped to short. DODGERS 4, BREWERS 3.
Dodgers trail, 3-2, after seven innings
BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: Pederson to left. Muncy to first. Taylor to second. Pedro Baez pitching. Perez grounded to the pitcher. Cain walked. Yelich flied to center. Braun flied to center. BREWERS 3, DODGERS 2.
Dodgers get on board in seventh, trail 3-2
TOP OF SEVENTH: Max Muncy, batting for Freese, walked. Machado singled to left, Muncy to second. Bellinger singled to center, Muncy scoring, Machado stopping at second. That will do it for Burnes. Jeremy Jeffress is now pitching. Joc Pederson, batting for Hernandez, singled to right, loading the bases with no one out. You have to get at least one more run here. Puig struck out swinging. Barnes walked, scoring Machado. 3-2 Brewers. Bases still loaded, one out. Yasmani Grandal, batting for the pitcher, grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Rough series for Grandal. BREWERS 3, DODGERS 2.
Brewers lead, 3-0, after six innings
BOTTOM OF SIXTH: Alex Wood now pitching. Moustakas strikes out swinging. Shaw homered to center. 3-0 Brewers. Dylan Floro replaces Wood. Kratz grounded to short. Arcia lined to left. BREWERS 3, DODGERS 0.
It’s still 2-0 Brewers after top of sixth
TOP OF SIXTH: Barnes flied to left. Brain Dozier, batting for Ryan Madson, popped to short. Taylor singled to center. And that will end Miley’s day. Great performance. Travis Shaw moves to first. Hernan Perez in at second. Corbin Burnes now pitching. Turner lined to center.
Brewers take 2-0 lead after five innings
BOTTOM OF FIFTH: Taylor moves to left field. Cody Bellinger in center field. Kemp out of the game for defensive purposes. Kratz grounded to second. Arcia homers to center. And there is the game’s first run. Miley singled to center. Cain doubled to deep left, Miley stopping at third. And that’s it for Ryu. Ryan Madson is replacing him. Yelich was walked intentionally. Braun grounds slowly to short, Miley scoring, the other runners moving up one base. Aguilar struck out swinging. BREWERS 2, DODGERS 0.
Dodgers don’t score in top of fifth
TOP OF FIFTH: Kemp flied to center. Hernandez struck out looking. Puig flied to left. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.
Pitcher’s duel after four innings
BOTTOM OF FOURTH: Braun grounded to second. Aguilar singled to left. Moustakas struck out swinging. Shaw grounded to first. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.
Through four scoreless innings
Ryu: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K’s, 53 pitches, 35 strikes
Miley: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K’s, 51 pitches, 30 strikes
Wade Miley is having no trouble with the Dodgers through four
TOP OF FOURTH: Turner grounded to short. Freese grounded to third. Machado grounded to short. Miley has made 51 pitches through four innings. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0
No score after three innings
BOTTOM OF THIRD: Orlando Arcia flied to left. Wade Miley doubled to left. Cain struck out swinging. Yelich grounded to first. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0
Brewers don’t score in top of third, still 0-0
TOP OF THIRD: Austin Barnes grounded to the pitcher. Hyun-Jin Ryu grounded to third. Chris Taylor struck out swinging. Both pitchers are cruising along. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.
Brewers go down in order in bottom of second
BOTTOM OF SECOND: Mike Moustakas grounded to second. Travis Shaw struck out swinging. Erik Kratz lined to third. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.
Dodgers go down in order in top of second
TOP OF SECOND: Matt Kemp grounded to third. Kiké Hernandez lined to second. Yasiel Puig fouled to the catcher. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.
Brewers don’t score in bottom of first
BOTTOM OF FIRST: Lorenzo Cain grounded to second. Christian Yelich singled to left. Ryan Braun struck out looking. Jesus Aguilar flied to right. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.
Lorenzo Cain robs Dodgers of two-run homer in top of first
Dodgers vs. Brewers. Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. Wade Miley. NLCS Game 2. Pull up a chair and spend some time with us.
TOP OF FIRST: Chris Taylor struck out swinging. Justin Turner singled to right. David Freese launched a ball to deep right-center, but Lorenzo Cain reach up over the fence and caught. Great catch by Cain. The crowd is much louder today. Manny Machado hit a broken-bat grounder to second. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.
Kiké Hernandez on the positive lesson to take from Game 1
It’s almost time for Dodger baseball
Here is the Dodgers’ Game 2 lineup
Here is the Game 2 starting lineup for the Brewers
Brewers defeat Dodgers, 6-5
TOP OF NINTH: Corey Knebel pitching. Bellinger singled to third. And then on replay it was overturned to an out. Grandal strikes out swinging. Pederson walked. Taylor triples to right, scoring Pederson. 6-5 Brewers. Cain in center got a glove on the ball but couldn’t hang on. It would have been a great catch. Turner struck out swinging. BREWERS 6, DODGERS 5.
Dodgers trail, 6-4, after eight inning
BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: Kenta Maeda pitching. Kratz struck out looking. Cain reaches first on an error by Turner. That’s four errors by the Dodgers tonight. Yelich grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. BREWERS 6, DODGERS 4.
Dodgers rally for three runs in top of eighth, trail 6-4
TOP OF EIGHTH: Xavier Cedeno now pitching. With the way the Dodgers are hitting tonight, they may as well bring in Xavier Cugat. Grandal singled to center. Pederson grounded to short, forcing Grandal at second. Joakim Soria in to pitch. Taylor singled to left, Pederson to second. Turner struck out looking. Muncy walked, loading the bases. Brewers do a double-switch, with Erik Kratz coming in to catch and Jeremy Jeffress in to pitch. Machado singled to left-center, Pederson and Taylor scoring, Muncy to second. 6-3 Brewers. Kemp singled to left-center, Muncy scoring, Machado to second. 6-4 Brewers. Puig, batting for Urias, struck out swinging. BREWERS 6, DODGERS 4.
Dodgers still trail, 5-1, after top of seventh
TOP OF SEVENTH: Machado flied to center. Kemp singled to right-center. Hernandez lined to right. With Bellinger at the plate, Kemp took second on a passed ball. Bellinger flied to center. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1.
Brewers take 6-1 lead on Aguilar’s homer
BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: Julio Urias pitching. Taylor to second. Joc Pederson in at center. Aguilar homered to right. 6-1 Brewers. Shaw singled to right. Moustakas fouled to the catcher. Pina popped to second. Arcia grounded to short, forcing Shaw at second. And that concludes the game…. what? There’s still two innings to go? Sigh. BREWERS 6, DODGERS 1
Brewers still lead 5-1 after six innings
BOTTOM OF SIXTH: Pedro Baez pitching. Hader struck out swinging. Cain doubled to left. Yelich struck out swinging. Braun struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1
Dodgers go down quietly in top of sixth
TOP OF SIXTH: Shaw in at second. Brian Dozier, batting for Floro, fouled to the catcher. Taylor singled to center. Turner struck out swinging. Muncy struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1.
Dodgers don’t score in top of fifth
TOP OF FIFTH: Josh Hader pitching for the Brewers. Hernandez struck out swinging. Bellinger flied to center. Grandal struck out swinging. I’m surprised he was able to hold onto the bat. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1.
Brewers maintain 5-1 lead after five innings
BOTTOM OF FIFTH: Dylan Floro pitching. Travis Shaw hit for Perez. Shaw struck out swinging. Moustakas singled to right-center. Pina walked. Arcia grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1.
Brewers knock Kershaw out of game in fourth inning, take 5-1 lead
BOTTOM OF FOURTH: Muncy in at first. Pina walked. I don’t believe Kershaw is long for this game. He has made 71 pitches already. Arcia singled to left, with both runners moving up a base on Taylor’s error. This is getting embarrassing. Domingo Santana, batting for Woodruff, singled, scoring both runners. The wheels are rapidly coming off now. It’s 4-1 Brewers. Still no one out. Kershaw is out of the game, Ryan Madson is in. Cain flied to center. With Yelich up, Santana stole second. Yelich struck out swinging. Braun singled Santana home. 5-1 Brewers. Aguilar lined to second. And the inning is mercifully over. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.
Dodgers go down in order in fourth
TOP OF FOURTH: Max Muncy, batting for Freese, struck out looking. This means that Freese won’t be around to bat against Josh Hader at the end of the game. Machado struck out swinging. Kemp struck out swinging. BREWERS 2, DODGERS 1.
Manny gets the job done
Disastrous inning by Grandal gives Brewers 2-1 lead after three
BOTTOM OF THIRD: Brandon Woodruff, yes, the pitcher, homered to center. It’s his second career homer in 19 at-bats, so he apparently can hit. Cain singled to center. Yelich walked. Braun fouled to first. Aguilar was up, and the runners took second and third on a passed ball. Then Aguilar took first on catcher’s interference. Stellar night Grandal is having. It would have been a line out otherwise. So instead of first and second and two out, it’s bases loaded and one out. Perez hit a sacrifice fly to center, with the runners advancing a base on, guess what, an error by Grandal. 2-1 Brewers, second and third, two out. Four errors for Grandal (though technically he will be charged with only one). Moustakas struck out looking and the inning is thankfully over. BREWERS 2, DODGERS 1.
Brewers go to the ‘pen, Dodgers go down quietly in third
TOP OF THIRD: Brandon Woodruff is now pitching for the Brewers, who live up to their promise to go to the bullpen early and often. Kershaw grounded to short. Taylor flied to right. Turner struck out swinging. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 0.
Brewers don’t score in bottom of second
BOTTOM OF SECOND: Hernan Perez grounded to the pitcher. Mike Moustakas grounded to third. Manny Pina singled to center. Orlando Arcia grounded to third. A lot of grounders to third in this game. Some overanxious hitters. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 0.
Watch Bob Uecker throw out the first pitch
Bob Uecker, who apparently has some sort of baseball background but starred in “Mr. Belvedere” and “Major League,” threw out the first pitch for tonight’s Dodgers-Brewers game. The first person to make a “Just a bit outside” joke gets banned.
Kershaw escapes trouble in bottom of first
BOTTOM OF FIRST: Lorenzo Cain singled to center. He took second on a passed ball. Probable NL MVP Christian Yelich struck out swinging. It was a 10-pitch at-bat, with Yelich fouling off a lot of fastballs before swinging at and missing a curve. Ryan Braun grounded to short. Jesus Aguilar grounded to short. A 22-pitch first inning for Kershaw. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.
Manny Machado’s homer gives Dodgers 1-0 lead
TOP OF SECOND: Manny Machado HOMERED to center. Which makes the crowd even more quiet. Matt Kemp grounded to third. Kiké Hernandez walked. Cody Bellinger flied to right. Yasmani Grandal grounded to third. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 0.
Dodgers don’t score in top of first
NLCS. Dodgers vs. Brewers. Clayton Kershaw vs. Gio Gonzalez. Pull up a chair and spend some time with us.
TOP OF FIRST: The crowd is amazingly quiet. Do they realize a playoff game is underway? Chris Taylor, 1 for 6 lifetime against Gonzalez, struck out swinging. Justin Turner, 2 for 19 against Gonzalez, grounded to short. David Freese, 4 for 14 against Gonzalez, flied to center. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.
Is that a crowd or an oil painting?
It’s almost time for Dodger baseball
Justin Turner reveals what makes this year’s Dodgers special
Lineups set for Game 1 of the NLCS between the Dodgers and Milwaukee
Little Leaguers have a message for Kenley Jansen
Time to go to work
Clayton Kershaw discusses preparing for Brewers’ hitters
Dave Roberts talks matchups and the NLCS chess game
Manny Machado and Max Muncy talk Brewers and playing in the NLCS
Julio Urias added to NLCS roster; Scott Alexander left off
Less than a month after making his season debut following major shoulder surgery, left-hander Julio Urías was added to the Dodgers’ roster for the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. He replaced fellow left-hander Scott Alexander, who appeared in one game in the National League Division Series. The rest of the Dodgers’ roster remained intact.
Once a precocious prospect who made his major-league debut at age 19, Urías underwent surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his left shoulder in June 2017. He didn’t appear in a major-league game again until Sept. 15 after tossing 11 2/3 innings across eight outings in the minors. The 22-year-old pitched in three games for the Dodgers, all in low-leverage situations in relief and with at least six days’ rest. He logged four scoreless innings, striking out seven and walking none. Those were his first big-league games since May 20, 2017.
Dodgers have some wild cards to play in the NLCS
Oh, their wonderful bullpen! Ah, that great Christian Yelich! Hey, look at the mustachioed dude going down that slide!
We interrupt all this lovely talk about the Milwaukee Brewers to reveal the real truth about the upcoming National League Championship Series.
It’s not about the Brewers. It’s all about the Dodgers.
There’s no bit of momentum in the streaking Brewers that the Dodgers can’t stop. There’s nothing the effective Brewers relievers can do that the Dodgers can’t swat. There is no part of the formidable Brewers batting order that the Dodgers can’t smother.
The Dodgers are deeper, broader, more versatile, more battle tested and, honestly people, just a better baseball team.
That is, as long as they’re the Dodgers.
Dodgers Dugout: And now, the NLCS
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and this should be a great NLCS.
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The NLCS
If, when the season started, you asked baseball fans who would be in the NLCS, I doubt many would have said the Brewers and Dodgers, but here we are.
The Milwaukee Brewers are a very good team. They had the best record in the National League and are led by Christian Yelich, the favorite to win NL MVP. He hit .326/.402/.598 with 34 doubles and 36 homers. He led the NL in batting average and was two homers and one RBI shy of the Triple Crown. Yelich is a local guy, born in Thousand Oaks and attended Westlake High.
You know who else is on the Brewers (though there is a slight chance he will not make the NLCS roster)? Curtis Granderson. The same Curtis Granderson who was just brutally bad with the Dodgers last season, hitting .161/.288/.366 for L.A. after they acquired him around the trade deadline from the New York Mets for Jacob Rhame (who has a 6.53 ERA with the Mets) on Aug. 19. He followed that up by going 1 for 15 with eight strikeouts in the postseason before the Dodgers wised up and left him off the World Series roster.
Dodgers will need all their postseason experience to defeat Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers won four more games than the Dodgers during their 163-game regular season. They boast the presumptive National League most valuable player in Christian Yelich and a dominant bullpen. They drubbed the Colorado Rockies in a three-game sweep, giving up only two runs, and will carry an 11-game winning streak into Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers on Friday night at Miller Park. They haven’t lost since Sept. 22.
But Yasiel Puig is confident. And, according to Puig, so are his teammates as they sit four victories away from a return to the World Series.
“We’re here for the sixth straight time,” Puig said after the Dodgers’ workout at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday evening. “Last year, we lost in the World Series and we want to get back in the World Series. I hope so. And my team is 100% sure that we’re going past [the Brewers] to the World Series again.”
Puig made his declaration matter-of-factly. He and his teammates appeared relaxed. They threw a football around before the workout, which included fielding drills and batting practice. A simulated game with relievers Josh Fields and Dylan Floro pitching to Chase Utley, Kyle Farmer and Andrew Toles concluded the evening’s work.
How the Dodgers have fared against the Milwaukee Brewers
The Dodgers will play the Milwaukee Brewers in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series that begins on Friday at Miller Park in Milwaukee. Here is a quick look at how the two teams did against each other this season:
July 20, Dodgers 6, at Milwaukee 4. Winning pitcher — Rich Hill. Losing pitcher — Taylor Williams. Save —Kenley Jansen. Home runs — Dodgers: Enrique Hernandez. Milwaukee: Jesus Aguilar.
Recap: In his first game as a Dodger, Manny Machado singled twice and walked twice and the Dodgers got a three-run homer from Enrique Hernandez to win the first game after the All-Star break.
Quote: Kenley Jansen on Machado: “He’s our new Mannywood, 2.0 I guess.”
Dodgers will face a tough Brewers team in the NLCS
The Dodgers’ celebration at Atlanta’s SunTrust Park on Monday was as much about checking off a box as it was what they had accomplished. They expected to advance to the National League Championship Series, to within four wins of another trip to the World Series, after last year’s disappointment. The path this season was rockier than anticipated, but anything less would’ve been a colossal letdown.
The party the Milwaukee Brewers had at Coors Field in Denver a day earlier had a different flavor. They weren’t projected to reach the NLCS. They play in baseball’s smallest market, an afterthought in Chicago’s shadow, and have one of the majors’ slimmest payrolls. It was their first playoff series victory since 2011, the last time they were in the playoffs. They went to the NLCS that year and lost. They haven’t won a World Series or even been to one since 1982. This is unfamiliar territory.