ATLANTA — Andy Pages’ two-run single in the seventh inning broke open a pitchers’ duel and helped the Los Angeles Dodgers close out their National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves with a 4-1 win in Game 4 on Wednesday.
The Dodgers, who won the series 3-1 and are looking to be the first National League team to win three straight World Series, will open the NL Championship Series in Milwaukee on Sunday. The Brewers completed a four-game NLDS win over the San Diego Padres with a 3-1 road win on Wednesday.
“I’ve been preparing myself all series for a moment like that, give myself an opportunity, get a good pitch to hit,” Pages said. “And luckily I was able to put a good swing on a pitch.”
Pages’ hit was Los Angeles’ first with runners in scoring position in the series after the team started 0-for-14. It came off of Robert Suarez after Teoscar Hernandez hit a one-out single against Braves starter Tyler Mahle and then reliever Didier Fuentes issued back-to-back two-out walks.
Pages had two of the Dodgers’ five hits and two of their three RBIs in the win.
His clutch hit came the inning after Atlanta got nothing out of Ozzie Albies’ leadoff double, with Edgardo Henriquez (1-0) escaping the jam to earn his first career postseason victory.
“Our guys just continue to fight, persevere. You never know who the guy’s going to be,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Tonight, Andy picked us up huge with a big hit. Henriquez was great. … We have a lot of work to be done, but we’re going to celebrate tonight and watch the end of that last game and figure out who we’re going to be playing the next couple of days. But it’s a good group.”
Los Angeles’ Max Muncy tacked on an insurance run with a solo homer in the ninth, his third long ball of the postseason.
Mahle (0-1) was a tough-luck loser, charged with two runs (one earned) on three hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked one.
Michael Harris II had two of Atlanta’s three hits, including a double. However, the Braves’ situational hitting issues continued as they finished the series 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position.
“The Dodgers have something to do with (our offensive struggles),” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “They’re going for their third straight world championship for a reason. Their arms just keep coming at you.”
Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow battled through 4 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on one hit, walking five and striking out five. Alex Vesia, Henriquez, Tanner Scott and Edwin Diaz followed and combined to allow no runs on two hits over the final 4 1/3 innings, setting down the final seven Atlanta batters in a row.
Diaz earned his second save of the series.
Los Angeles’ pitching staff gave up eight runs on 18 hits over the four-game series.
“We struggled with runners in scoring position,” Weiss said. “So did the Dodgers. The games were really tight. I thought we gave them all they could handle. But it’s a good team over there.”
The Braves opened the scoring in the bottom of the first on a wild pitch that scored Harris. He led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on a fielder’s choice.
The Dodgers equalized in the second behind a pair of Braves errors. Shohei Ohtani drew a leadoff walk, stole second and moved to third on an errant throw from catcher Sean Murphy. Muncy then hit a sky-high popup to shallow left that shortstop Mauricio Dubon dropped, allowing Ohtani to score.
–Curt Weiler, Field Level Media
