LCS Round Day 7: Taylor Keeps Dodgers Alive
Wednesday night’s victory gave the Atlanta MLB franchise another opportunity to close out a 3-1 National League Championship Series lead against the Los Angeles Dodgers after their failure in 2020. Manager Brian Snitker sent Atlanta’s ace Max Fried to the mound with an opportunity to clinch a World Series berth. After a relatively uneventful 1st inning, Fried was rocked in the 2nd inning, giving up a two-run advantage. Chris Taylor drove in a 406-foot go-ahead two-run homer to left field, the first of three in the game.
Atlanta leads series 3-2
W: Evan Phillips
L: Fried
The injured Dodgers were carried to a blowout victory by Taylor’s historic effort.
Chris Taylor of the @Dodgers is the first player in MLB history to have a walkoff HR when facing elimination and a multi-HR game when facing elimination in his postseason career (let alone in the same year).
— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) October 22, 2021
Chris Taylor joins Kiké Hernández (Game 5 of 2017 NLCS) as the only Dodgers ever with a three-homer postseason game.
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) October 22, 2021
With 13 total bases on Thursday, Taylor surpasses the 12 total bases reached by Kiké Hernández in Game 5 of the 2017 NLCS and Eddie Rosario‘s 12 bases on Wednesday night for the most total bases in a single MLB postseason game since 2017.
In the bottom of the 8th inning, Taylor had the opportunity to hit a record-breaking 4th home run in a single MLB postseason game, but he struck out to end the inning. According to the Society for American Baseball Research, there has never been a four-homer game in MLB postseason history, but this feat has been achieved in other professional league playoff series.
In case you’re wondering, there has never been a 4-HR game in @MLB postseason history. There have been two in @MiLB playoff series and one in the KBO. Here’s a full list of all known four-homer games in pro baseball history: https://t.co/N9oXVjRYtt #SABR
— SABR (@sabr) October 22, 2021
Atlanta will have another bite at the apple on Saturday as the series returns to Truist Park for two more games, if needed. Game time and pitching matchups are TBD.
The American League Championship Series will resume on Friday at 8:08 PM ET from Minute Maid Park in Houston. Nathan Eovaldi (regular season – 11-9, 3.75 ERA) will face Luis Garcia (regular season – 11-8, 3.48 ERA).
Featured Image: Chris Taylor, outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, USA April 30, 2018 by Keeton Gale / Shutterstock.com.
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