LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Eddie Rosario cracked a line-drive single up the middle to score Dansby Swanson and give the Atlanta Braves their second straight walk-off win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in baseball’s National League Championship Series on Sunday.
The Braves, who twice trailed by two runs, rallied to beat the Dodgers 5-4 and take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The reigning World Series champion Dodgers will try to regroup when they host game three on Tuesday.
Atlanta scored in each of the last two innings, Rosario leading off the eighth against Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias — a regular starter who was sent in as a reliever — with a single.
Rosario advanced to second on Freddie Freeman’s fly out and scored on a single from Ozzie Albies — the sliding Rosario managing to avoid the attempted tag at home plate by Dodgers catcher Will Smith to pull the Braves within 4-3.
Austin Riley, who delivered a walk-off hit in game one on Saturday, then belted a double over the head of Mookie Betts and off the centerfield wall that saw Albies score from first base for a 4-4 tie.
After Braves pitcher Will Smith retired three straight Dodgers batters in the top of the ninth inning, the Dodgers sent Brusdar Graterol to the mound in the ninth.
Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud greeted him with a single but was out at second after Swanson’s bunt. After another groundout, Rosario came to the plate with two outs to face Dodgers closing pitcher Kenley Jansen.
Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager couldn’t corral the hard-hit ball from Rosario that bounced into center field, allowing Swanson to score the winning run.
