MLB – You want drama? This NLCS brings it – and the best is yet to come



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MILWAUKEE – Two games, 23 thrower changes, 7 ½ hours and 18 innings in the National League series, we can say that the model is defined. These games are going to be tense and expensive and you have to get ready for nine rounds, as the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers certainly are.

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The bottom line is that the series is tied, both in games and in playoffs. After Los Angeles came back from 4-3 on Saturday, both teams embarked on a point-one affair. Both teams scored nine points.

"It's the best of the best," said Kenley Jansen, closer to the Dodgers, after getting the save. "These guys are the best team right now, we're just going to play in the 27 outs and they've done a fantastic job right now."

Games 1 and 2 were inverted images in several ways. The races were hard to find early, the Brewers did damage by seeing a L.A. starter, and did it with the bottom of their order. The Dodgers came back in both games against the famous vampire Milwaukee. In the first match, they fell behind, miraculous after L.A's error-filled performance. In the second game, they swept the Brewers bullpen on the decisive two-run circuit of Justin Turner in the eighth.

And get this: The two games ended with the race tied in goal position, the last result being the best batter of the team. Friday, it's Turner who hit with a third-place runner to end the game. On Saturday, Christian Yelich, Milwaukee's most valuable player, escaped ahead of Hernan Perez.

"We feel comfortable because even though we played our worst baseball game yesterday, we feel like we have almost had it," said Jansen. "Today, we come from behind and we go to this closet and we feel good.I feel good to go home 1-1."

We are only two games and this series has everything. Heroic Moments – Turner in Game 2, Brandon Woodruff in Game 1. Stars Brawl – Turner in the first game, Yelich for most of the series. Cinderella stories, such as Orlando Arcia, Woodruff and Milwaukee Play 2 star Wade Miley.

He had some cutting-edge strategies like bullpenning and good, old-fashioned throwing too. Woodruff shuddered after taking stock of Clayton Kershaw via Yasiel Puig who hit a stick against his knee after being injured with the goals in the second game.

Justin Turner follows decisively for his decisive home run in two rounds in the eighth round of the second game of the NLCS series. Dylan Buell / Getty Images

But maybe the best thing about the NLCS is that, even though the drama of each game has unfolded, we've been able to think with the managers and dilemmas they face when these micro-moments rise , moments that will resonate for the rest. from the Serie.

"You always try to play scenarios and see how the game can go, but every baseball game is different," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "Premeditated," how are you going to see the game unfold, "I do not think so."

When Josh Hader launched three dominant innings in the first game, he was out of the second game. This was not a state secret. Brewers manager Craig Counsell has been on the podium after Milwaukee's win on Friday. Roberts knew this and presented an extremely fair training for the second game against Miley, knowing that he could deploy his left-handers later without fearing that Hader would close them and shut them up. In this way, Hader's presence was felt in a game he did not launch.

One by one, Roberts' left-handers emerged in the middle of the innings. Max Muncy entered the seventh, walked and scored. The guy comes from the bench ready to walk. In Dodgers striking folklore, he is the anti-Manny Mota. Cody Bellinger, who replaced the defender in fifth place, was singled out in his first appearance in front of the plate, leading in a race. Joc Pederson was hit in the seventh and ended the game with two hits.

"When you know you have a guy like Hader after three rounds and tonight he's going to be down," Roberts said. "For me, there is no cost for what is now called a" line change "for our list.Insert these guys without having to worry about it, yes, that made it things a lot easier. "

Meanwhile, Roberts sent seven lifters to win after Hyun-Jin Ryu was eliminated in fifth place. Between the extreme squad of positional players and the emptying of the market, Roberts has come close to the turn of events. If Milwaukee had tied the score for the ninth goal, the young southpaw Julio Urias was Roberts' last slack and his bench was empty. The Dodgers used 21 players in the game, one less than the record of nine consecutive innings.

"We have a complete list of guys who are more than capable of playing (playing a full game)," said Turner. "It's a kind of blessing and curse that we have to have so much depth and to be able to mix. I think our guys are doing an amazing job of staying ready and able to play in the middle of the game. prepare."

From the first launch of each series to the last of Game 7, you can follow the full post-season MLB on ESPN Radio. Listening »

The empty bench and the enclosure are more important now. Roberts went for the win and he got it. You do not expect any playoff contingencies. You win now, worry later, later. Not only is the series tied, but the Dodgers have seen all the Brewers lifters except Freddy Peralta, and some of them twice. With the return at the end of the round, the Dodgers won their first playoff game by trailing in the eighth inning since the 1988 NLCS, according to Elias. You may remember, this season was the last one in which ended a Dodgers World Series victory.

"I like our approach," Roberts said. "I like the position of the players." We can not take anything away from this pen (Milwaukee) .They have done it during the season, and they have a tough pen to fight against, but I think so. "We talked about it last night seeing these guys for two nights in a row, and I think it works to our advantage."

Speaking of benefits, with the win, the Dodgers grabbed the edge of the podium for what is now a duel versus five. The Brewers are absolutely unsure of seeing Miller Park this season.

"Everyone said we play better at home, and Milwaukee played better here," Puig said. "They won, we won and now there will be three games at home."

The momentum of the series has changed with Turner's counterpart, it's clear. Beyond the exchange of advantage on the field, the Dodgers proved in the first two games that they could qualify for the strength of the Brewers. Milwaukee even heads up to the coast, but it does not really look like him.

"There can be no match after two games, no?" Counsell said. "It's been two hard games, two one-point games, one point on the base to score the goal of finishing each game, so they've been as close as possible, and we're looking forward to the next chapter."

We too, Craig. US too.

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