LOS ANGELES/BOSTON. – Eddie Rosario had two home runs among his four hits and the Atlanta Braves moved one game from their first World Series berth since 1999 with a 9-2 victory Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Rosario finished a double shy of the cycle while Adam Duvall and Freddie Freeman added home runs as the Braves took a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series.
Atlanta would wrap up the best-of-seven series with a victory in Game 5 on Thursday (Friday in Manila) at Dodger Stadium.
The Braves also had a 3-1 NLCS lead on the Dodgers last season but were unable to get one last victory as Los Angeles moved on and eventually won the World Series.
AJ Pollock had a two-run single for the Dodgers, who were held without a hit until the fifth inning.
Los Angeles starter Julio Urias (0-1) gave up three home runs in five innings, allowing five runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out three. Urias also coughed up a two-run Dodgers lead in the eighth inning of Game 2 during a relief assignment.
Braves right-hander Huascar Ynoa was scheduled to start the bullpen game but was removed from the roster because of shoulder inflammation. Jesse Chavez started instead and pitched a scoreless first inning.
Drew Smyly (1-0) gave up two runs in 3 1/3 innings and was credited with the win. He was the second of six Braves pitchers who shut down Los Angeles.
Rosario and Duvall got the offense started, hitting consecutive home runs to open the second inning. It was the first time Atlanta hit back-to-back long balls in a playoff game since Javy Lopez and Vinny Castilla in the 2002 NL Division Series.
In the other game, Framber Valdez gave the Houston Astros the kind of start they desperately needed in their biggest moment of the season.
Valdez kept the Boston bats at bay with eight innings of one-run, three-hit ball as Houston coasted to a 9-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox to take a 3-2 lead in the American League Championship Series.
Prior to Valdez’s outing, the Astros’ starters had allowed 16 runs (14 earned) in a combined 6 2/3 innings over the first four games of the series. None of the four — including Valdez himself in Game 1– had made it past the third inning.
In his Game 1 start, Valdez yielded three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings during an eventual 5-4 Houston win. — Field Level Media
