The Braves continued to ride Eddie Rosario’s heroics, finishing off the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 4-2 victory at home Saturday in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series.
Rosario’s three-run home run in the fourth inning was the difference as the Braves advanced to the World Series for the first time since 1999. Atlanta will travel to Houston for Game 1 of the Fall Classic on Tuesday.
“I’ve been asked how I feel and I really can’t put it into words yet, but I think this is what pure joy is,” said Braves veteran Freddie Freeman, the longest tenured player on the club.
The Braves jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on back-to-back two-out doubles by Ozzie Albies and Riley.
Anderson held the Dodgers in check until the fourth, when Los Angeles had runners on second and first with one out. Bellinger rolled a two-out RBI single to left-center field to tie the game.
The Braves used another two-out rally to regain the lead in the fourth. Travis d’Arnaud walked, Ehire Adrianza doubled and Rosario sent the seventh pitch of his at-bat against Buehler over the wall and just inside the right-field foul pole for a 4-1 lead.
The Dodgers pulled within 4-2 in the seventh on an RBI double from Pollock. With runners on second and third with nobody out, Matzek came on to strike out Albert Pujols, Steven Souza Jr. and Mookie Betts to end the threat. Matzek added a perfect eighth inning.
“Honestly the job becomes simple at that point: Just get three guys out before they score,” Matzek said on MLB Network afterward, referring to his tall order in the seventh. “I just focused and went ahead and made my next pitch when I could. I stepped off, took a deep breath and said, ‘Alright, let’s go. Best stuff, let’s go.’ “
Closer Will Smith finished off the victory with a perfect ninth inning for his fourth save of the postseason, getting Pollock to ground out to shortstop to end it.
–Field Level Media
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