The New York Yankees postseason ended with the loss in the wild card game against the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox have conquered the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS and will face the Houston Astros for the second time in five years in the ALCS after the Astros beat the Chicago White Sox 10-1. The Atlanta Braves were up two games to one and reached the NLCS when they beat the Milwaukee Brewers in Atlanta 5-4. The only Championship that was yet to be decided was the Dodgers Giants NLDS at At San Francisco’s Oracle Park. The Dodgers early this morning in the east, moved on to the NLCS in Atlanta with the 2-1 win.
When the Dodgers won the wild card from the St. Louis Cardinals, they created history by playing in the divisional series against the San Francisco Giants for the first time since they were the New York Giants in 1889. That year the Giants won the World Series by one game over the Boston Beaneaters.
Friday was Game one against these two western rivals. The Giants scored two runs off the Dodger’s starting pitcher Walker Buehler and the game was over; the Dodgers didn’t know it at the time, but they remained scoreless off of the Giants pitching; the Giants shut them out 4-0.
Game two was Saturday at Oracle Park in San Francisco, with an altogether different outcome. The Lost Angeles Dodgers piled on nine runs to the Giants two. Thus, tying up the five-game series at one apiece.
Game three Monday at Dodger’s Stadium, Game three was a pitcher’s duel with only one run scored on the night; it belonged to the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving them the two-game lead in the series.
Tuesday night was Game four. Anthony DeSclafani was on the mound for the Giants and Walter Buehler for the Dodgers. The Dodgers got on board first with a Trey Turner RBI. In the second, the Giants remained scoreless. Then, at the bottom, the Dodgers put two on. With men on the corners, Chris Taylor doubled, putting the Dodgers up by two runs. That ended the night for DeSclafani. The Giants Alverez replaced him and shut down the Dodgers. Los Angeles 2 San Francisco 0.
In the third, Buehler put down the Giants in order. At the bottom, Kevin Castro took over for the Giants, and with two on and one out. He was replaced by Jarlin Garcia, who allowed the second walk in the inning, loading the bases. Chris Taylor flew out to end the inning, stranding three Dodgers. At the top of the fourth, Buehler put down the Giants 1-2-3. At the bottom, one on Mookie Betts homered to right field, giving the Dodgers a four-run lead and ending Garcia’s night. Dodgers 4 Giants 0.
In the top of the fifth with two on Buehler’s (on three days rest) night was over replaced by Joe Kelly. Tommy La Stella, with two on and one out, singled, loading the bases with Giants. Darin Ruf ground out, scoring Evan Longoria. But Kelly got out of the jam, only allowing the one run. In the bottom, the Dodgers Gavin Lux walked, Cody Bellinger, singled moving Lux to third, Chris Taylor reached on a fielders choice with Lux getting caught in a run down. New pitcher Tyler Rogers faced Steven Sousa, who walked. Mookie Betts flew out as Bellinger scored. Corey Seager flew out to end a very long fifth inning. Dodgers 5 Giants 1.
At the sixth with 53,000 on hand at Dodgers Stadium, Busdar Graterol on the mound for the Dodgers put down the Giants in the sixth. Zack Littell allowed two runners to get out of the inning with the Dodgers scoreless. In the seventh, the Giants failed to score, as did the Dodgers. Dodgers 5 Giants 1.
Brandon Crawford led off with a double moved to third on a Buster Posey ground out in the eighth inning. Chris Byant gound out with Crawford scoring. That was it, but the Giants tacked on a run. At the bottom, Seager led off with a single. Then, Will Smith hit a two-run homer to the left-field stands to put the Dodgers up 7-2. In the top of the ninth with the last licks on the line for the Giants, they went down in order for the Dodgers win, forcing a game five on Thursday back in San Francisco.
Game five: Last night Corey Knebel was on the mound for the Dodgers and Logan Webb for the Giants. Being the rubber game for both of them, either at the end of the night could be eliminated. The first inning in San Franciso was scoreless in the top due to a double play. Then, Knebel facing the Giants Buster Posey doubled, but it was all for naught, with the inning ending scoreless for both teams. At the bottom of the second, the Giants put two on but also remained scoreless. the third inning was scoreless as well.
In the top of the fourth, the Dodgers also put two on but couldn’t bring them home. In the bottom, the Giants got Brandon Crawford on but couldn’t get him home either. The fans in the stands hadn’t got into the game yet. At the top of the fifth inning, Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb recorded his fifth strikeout while going into the bottom; the Dodgers had used three different pitchers. At the bottom, the Dodgers were also scoreless. After five, no score.
To start the sixth, Mookie Betts got his third single of the game to left. Betts then stole second. Corey Seager doubled scoring Betts as the Dodgers got on the board first. Trey Turner flew out to end the inning, but the Dodgers scored a run. At the bottom, Julio Urias, on the mound for this third inning of work, gave up a long home run to Darin Ruf to tie up the game at one apiece. In the seventh, Webb got his seventh strikeout to end the top. At the end of the seventh, the game remained tied at one run apiece.
In the eighth inning, with one on, Mookie Betts, who had three singles in the game, got his fourth hit, moving A.J. Pollock to second. Corey Seager struck out, and Gabe Kapler made the call to the bullpen. Sidearmer Rogers was replaced by Camilio Doval, who flew out Trey Turner to end the inning scoreless for the Dodgers leaving two stranded. At the bottom, against Kenley Jansen, the Giants went down 1-2-3. Game tied at one.
At the top of the ninth, the Dodgers came to the plate with the game still tied at one apiece. Will Smith ground out to short. Justin Turner was drilled and took first. Gavin Lux singled to right, moving Turner to second. Cody Bellinger singled, scoring Turner to give the Dodgers the one run lead. Kapler, in another trip to the mound, replaced his closer in favor of Kevin Gausman. Chris Taylor, with men on the corners, popped out to the infield. Matt Beaty ground out, but the Dodgers scored a run. At the bottom Dodgers starter, Max Scherzer took the mound with last licks on the line for the Giants. Brandon Crawford flew out to left. Kris Bryant singled. Lamonte Wade Jr. struck out. Wilmer Flores struck out swinging for the Dodgers win.
The final score was the Los Angeles Dodgers 2 the San Francisco Giants 1. The winning pitcher was Kenley Jansen; the loser was Camilo Doval. Starter Max Scherzer got his first-ever professional save. The Dodgers are going to the NLCS to face the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, October 16th in Atlanta.