Justin Turner has a knack for NLCS game 2 moments.
Nearly one year to the day he hit a walk-off, three-run homer in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs, Turner once again provided the magic for the Dodgers.
Turner hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the eighth and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied from behind to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-3, in Game 2 to even the National League Championship Series at one game apiece.
"I knew he was going to come through," said teammate Chris Taylor who ironically worked a walk ahead of Turner's walk-off homer in Game 2 of the NLCS last year. "He had a tough game yesterday, but we all have faith in him. He's the guy we want up in the big moment."
In the days leading up to the NLCS, the narrative was the Dodgers starting pitching against the Brewers bullpen. There was no regard for Milwaukee starters Gio Gonzalez or Wade Miley.
Maybe it's time to change that narrative.
Miley pitched 5 and 2/3 scoreless innings on Saturday, pitching deeper into the game than Dodgers starters Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu.
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"We were in really good shape with the effort that Wade gave us," said Brewers' manager Craig Counsell of Miley. "He pitched beautifully."
The Dodgers simply had no answers for Miley, who by the sixth inning had twice as many hits himself than the Dodgers had collectively.
But for the second game in a row, the Dodgers scored a bulk of their runs against the highly touted Brewers bullpen, scoring eight of their nine runs against Milwaukee's relievers.
Orlando Arcia and Travis Shaw both homered for the Brewers as Milwaukee built a 3-0 lead before the Dodgers bats awoke.
Arcia, who only had three homers all season, took Hyun-Jin Ryu deep in the fifth inning to give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead.
After a single by Miley and a double by Lorenzo Cain, the Dodgers walked soon-to-be MVP Christian Yelich to load the bases for Ryan Bruan.
Another Ryan, Ryan Madson, entered the game and escaped the inning, but not without allowing another Brewers run on a fielder's choice groundout.
After not allowing a home run to a left-handed hitter in 168 plate appearances during the regular season, Dodgers' reliever Alex Wood has now allowed two homers to left-handers in back-to-back appearances.
After surrendering the game-winning homer to Freddie Freeman in Game 3 of the NLDS, Wood served up a 91MPH first pitch fastball to Travis Shaw to give the Brewers a 3-0 lead.
The Dodgers rallied in the top of the seventh with an RBI single from Cody Bellinger and a bases loaded walk for Austin Barnes, but pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal killed the rally with an inning-ending double play.
"It was a big at-bat in the game," said Barnes. "I was just trying to stay disciplined."
After an infield single by Chris Taylor kicked off the Dodgers half of the eighth, Turner hit his first home of the postseason on a 2-0 splitter from Jeremy Jeffress that put the Dodgers in front.
"I was just trying to elevate, get something in the air," said Turner of his game-winning homer. "I know Muncy is on deck behind me with only righties down there, and he's obviously done some incredible things this year. So last thing I want to do is put a ball on the ground.
So I was just trying to get something up, and as soon as I hit it, it felt good. I knew it was a homer, and it's cool to run around the bases and see all your teammates going crazy, jumping up and down waiting for you. That's pretty cool."
Turner's moment of redemption came on the heels of his first ever four strikeout game of his career in Game 1 as he struck out with the tying run on third base to end the game on Friday.
"That was probably the worst game of my career offensively," said Turner of Game 1. "But I think you just shrug it off to be about baseball...but like I said, today was a new day and another chance to go out and win a ballgame."
"He's the glue for our club," added Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts.
Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his second save of the playoffs.
"It's awesome! We steal one," said Kenley after the win. "That's the plan. We put the pressure on them in Game 3."
The victory snapped the Brewers 12-game win streak.
"It's a huge win for us," said Taylor after the game. "To even the series going back home as opposed to being down nothing to two, can't even stress how big that was. Those last couple innings to be able to battle. We got to that bullpen yesterday and I think it paid off today."
The Dodgers have lost their last 10 consecutive postseason series when losing Game 1, the last time they won a series after dropping the opener was in the NLCS against the New York Mets in 1988, the last time they won the World Series.
Up Next:
The series shifts to Los Angeles where rookie Walker Buehler will start Game 3 against Jhoulys Chacín. First pitch is scheduled for 4:39PM PT on Monday.
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