ATLANTA — Atlanta Braves fans will have to start monitoring their heart rates if the rest of the National League Championship Series is anything like Game 1 and 2.
For the second night in a row, the Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-4, with a dramatic walk-off, this time from Eddie Rosario.
“We all have that dream, that desire to get to the World Series,” Rosario said. “That’s just what we’re going for.”
Rosario ended up with a big night for the Braves. He went 4-for-5, scored the game-tying run in the eighth and drove home the game-winning run in the ninth.
His defense also saved the game for the Braves. In the top of the ninth, Rosario made a high-flying catch at the wall to rob Trae Turner of a hit.
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Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos’ trades this season keep paying off in the big moments as Rosario and Joc Pederson proved.
Pederson, the former Dodger who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs, tied the game up in the fourth with a 454-foot dinger to the Chop House.
After the Dodgers retook a 4-2 lead, Rosario got things going for the Braves in the eighth. He scored on a single from Ozzie Albies, who was brought home by Austin Riley to tie the game.
“If you’re playing scared you’re never going to push the guys to score the important runs for the team,” Albies said.
Will Smith set up the walk-off chances by pitching a perfect ninth. He picked up the win.
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Atlanta is now up 2-0 in the series as it shifts back to Los Angeles on Tuesday. Teams that are up 2-0 in a best-of-seven series have won 84% of the time.
But of course, the Braves have found themselves in this position before. Atlanta held a 2-0 advantage in last year’s NLCS before the Dodgers came back and won Game 7.
But that was in a neutral site in front of limited fans. Instead, Atlanta will have to play in front of a packed Dodger Stadium for Game 3 and Game 4.
“We were up on them 2-0 last year, so it’s like one of those things where you can’t stop now, you got to continue to apply the pressure and come out every day and get after it,” Riley said.
Someone that Braves fans hope gets going on a hot streak in the city of angels is first baseman Freddie Freeman. The hero of the NLDS so far has struck out seven times in the NLCS.
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Game 3 is set for 5:07 p.m. ET on Tuesday featuring Charlie Morton versus Walker Buehler. Game 4 will be Wednesday at 8:08 p.m.
The Braves will be hosting a sendoff party for the team at Truist Park Monday at 11:30 a.m.
Fans are encouraged to bring signs and dress up in their Braves gear and join the Heavy Hitters, Tomahawk Team, and Blooper outside of the First Base Gate on Battery Avenue.
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