Andy Pages broke open a pitchers’ duel with a two-run single in the seventh inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Wednesday to close out their National League Division Series in four games.
The Dodgers are headed to the NLCS for the third consecutive season, chasing a third straight World Series title. Max Muncy added a solo home run in the ninth — his third long ball of the postseason — and the bullpen finished the job after Atlanta was held to three hits.
For six innings, this was anyone’s game. Atlanta starter Tyler Mahle was charged with two runs, one earned, on three hits over 6⅓ innings in a tough-luck loss. The Dodgers, meanwhile, had gone 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position in the series before Pages finally connected with the bases loaded in the seventh — the at-bat the entire series had been waiting for.
“I’ve been preparing myself all series for a moment like that,” Pages said afterwards, having collected two of Los Angeles’ five hits and two of its three RBIs. Manager Dave Roberts praised a group that “continues to fight” and finds a different hero each night.
Next comes a familiar obstacle: Milwaukee. The Dodgers and Brewers open their best-of-seven NLCS on Sunday, the third meeting between the clubs at this stage in nine years. Los Angeles swept Milwaukee at this hurdle last year. The Brewers, who just eliminated San Diego, have spent the week making clear they remember.
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