LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers are on track to be the first repeat World Series champions in a quarter century, helped along by superb starting pitching, a flame-throwing rookie in the bullpen and strong defense.
They were swigging and spraying from bottles with — oops — NLCS on the labels while partying in the teamâ€s batting cage after a wild 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in 11 innings.
“Weâ€re going to find a way to win a ballgame even when things arenâ€t going our way,†utility player Kiké Hernández said.
NL West champion Los Angeles took the best-of-five NL Division Series 3-1 and will play either the NL Central-winning Milwaukee Brewers or runner-up Chicago Cubs in the best-of-seven NL Championship Series. Those teams play a decisive Game 5 in Milwaukee.
The Dodgers dropped four of seven to the Cubs during the regular season. The Brewers swept their six games with the Dodgers, outscoring them 31-16 while holding Los Angeles to two or fewer runs in four of those games.
No matter whoâ€s up next, the Dodgers are rolling at the right time, winning five of their first six postseason games. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow lead a stellar rotation. Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is a candidate to start on the mound in Game 1 of the NLCS.
“The whole pitching staff, we donâ€t win this series if it wasnâ€t for them,†Hernández said.
The defense is helping, too.
The Dodgers made a couple of clutch defensive plays during a 4-3 win in Game 2 against the Phillies.
Freddie Freeman had a game-saving pick at first base and they successfully executed a defensive wheel play with the Phillies threatening.
With Nick Castellanos on second, third baseman Max Muncy rushed home plate to field a bunt by Bryson Stott, turned and perfectly threw to shortstop Mookie Betts, who was covering third. Betts got the out while being upended by a sliding Castellanos.
Rookie Roki Sasaki delivered three perfect innings of relief in the finale. The right-hander has allowed just one baserunner over 5 1/3 scoreless playoff innings after returning late last month from a long-term shoulder injury.
“Itâ€s a massive weapon for us this whole postseason now,†Freeman said.
Ohtani and Freeman have not been so great at the plate. Theyâ€ll need to jump-start their offense in the next round.
Ohtani had a franchise-record 55 homers — second-best in the NL — in the regular season. He homered twice in the wild-card round against Cincinnati, but has gone silent since. He was 1 for 18 with nine strikeouts in the NLDS, going 0 for 5 in Game 3.
Freeman hit .295 during the season — third-best in the NL — and had 39 doubles and 24 homers. He was 1 for 5, extending his postseason on-base streak to 11 games with a single.
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