Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts claw Dodgers back from brink, narrow Braves' NLCS lead to 2-1
25 innings into the NLCS, the Dodgers looked on track for one of the most shockingly one-sided exits in recent memory.
The Dodgers, a 106-game winner in the regular season, were down 5-2 heading into the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves after dropping the first two games of the series. The team could not find a hit with runners in scoring position and was already facing scrutiny over its aggressive pitching decisions.
And when all was nearly lost, it was the guy finishing a lost season who got them back into it.
Cody Bellinger, the former MVP who finished the regular season hitting .165/.240/.302 after undergoing shoulder surgery, connected for a three-run homer to tie the game and revive the Dodger Stadium crowd:
OCTOBER BELLI. pic.twitter.com/ZZ1vxcBaGq
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 20, 2021
You may notice the 96 mph fastball from Luke Jackson was about neck height for Bellinger, who did plenty of celebrating on the basepaths.
Chris Taylor followed up that homer with a single and then, after a Matt Beaty groundout, Mookie Betts delivered an RBI double to give the Dodgers the lead:
MOOOOOOKIE! pic.twitter.com/2iR7Pj4qHA
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 20, 2021
Kenley Jansen came in and proceeded to strike out all three batters, sealing the Dodgers' massive comeback win. Per MLB.com's Sarah Langs, it is the first time the Dodgers have ever won after trailing by three or more runs in the eighth inning or later.
The victory allows the Dodgers to avoid a daunting 3-0 series hole — you're probably aware only the 2004 Boston Red Sox have overcome such a deficit — and they could have the advantage for Game 4 as well with Julio Urias on the mound against a likely Braves bullpen game.