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Tuesday 17 OcTOber 2017
Turner homers in 9th, Dodgers top Cubs 4-1 for 2-0 NLCS lead

By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin
Turner savored every last
stride as he followed in Kirk
Gibson’s famous footsteps
at Dodger Stadium.
The red-bearded slugger
from Southern California
knew all about the history
attached to this home run
trot.
On the 29th anniversary of
Gibson’s celebrated pinch-
hit homer that shocked
Oakland in the 1988 World
Series opener, Turner add-
ed another landmark shot
to Los Angeles Dodgers
postseason lore.
Turner hit a three-run drive
with two outs in the bottom
of the ninth inning, and the
Dodgers beat the Chicago
Cubs 4-1 on Sunday to take
a 2-0 lead in the NL Cham-
pionship Series.
“One of my earliest base-
ball memories was being at
my grandma’s house and
watching that game in ‘88
and seeing Gibby hit that Los Angeles Dodgers’ Justin Turner celebrates after a three-run walk off home run against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning
homer,” said Turner, who of Game 2 of baseball’s National League Championship Series in Los Angeles, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017.
wasn’t quite 4 years old at Associated Press
the time. “So yeah, it feels at home plate by another he wanted to save Davis six games after splitting the gle to right after a leadoff
pretty cool. I thought about pack of ecstatic Dodgers, for a potential save on the first two. double by Culberson, the
doing the fist-pump around just as Gibson did. Unlike road, and Lackey would Dodgers closer Kenley Jan- Dodgers’ improbably suc-
the bases, but we’ll wait Gibson, Turner spiked his have pitched the 10th in- sen got the win with a hit- cessful replacement for in-
until we get to the World batting helmet after round- ning as well if the Cubs did less ninth despite hitting jured All-Star shortstop Co-
Series for that, hopefully.” ing third, allowing his unruly not have a lead. Anthony Rizzo on the hand rey Seager.
The dominant Dodgers red hair to go as wild as the “Nobody is a really great with a one-out pitch. That The Dodgers chased Les-
are two wins away after crowd. matchup against Turner, ended the Los Angeles ter with two outs in the fifth,
Turner drove in all four runs “What’s not to enjoy about so it just did not work out,” bullpen’s impressive streak but reliever Carl Edwards
in Game 2 to keep Los An- it?” Turner asked. “We have Maddon said. of 22 straight Cubs retired Jr. came through after
geles unbeaten in the post- an opportunity to bring a Turner stepped up and to begin the NLCS, but the several recent postseason
season. championship back to LA. ended it with his fourth ca- Dodgers have thrown eight struggles, striking out pinch-
He delivered a tying single It’s been a long time.” reer playoff homer. After hitless and scoreless innings hitter Chase Utley and then
in the fifth before sending a Game 3 in the best-of-sev- taking a slight free-agent of relief in the NLCS. pitching a strong sixth.
long shot to center field off en series is Tuesday night discount to stay with the Jon Lester yielded three hits Lester was the co-MVP of
John Lackey in the ninth. at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Dodgers last winter, he had and five walks while failing last season’s NLCS, winning
Completing the poetry of Midseason acquisition Yu another solid season before to get out of the fifth in- Game 5 at Dodger Sta-
the moment, a fan wearing Darvish starts for the Dodg- excelling again in October. ning in the shortest start of dium and yielding two runs
a blue Dodgers jersey took ers against Kyle Hendricks. The All-Star third baseman his long postseason career, over 13 innings in the series.
a few steps onto a walkway Yasiel Puig drew his third is batting .377 with 22 RBIs but the Dodgers couldn’t He had nothing near the
and gracefully caught the walk of the game leading in his postseason career. take advantage of a rare same success against the
ball in his glove on the fly. off the ninth, and Charlie He is 13 for 18 with runners shaky night by the Cubs’ Dodgers’ revamped lineup
“It’s very cool, and J.T., Culberson bunted him to in scoring position (.722), in- star left-hander. in this one, issuing four walks
we were talking about it in second. After losing pitcher cluding 6 for 8 this year. Rich Hill struck out eight in in the first four innings and
there after the game,” Los Brian Duensing struck out And after a collective of- five more impressive innings repeatedly escaping jams.
Angeles manager Dave pinch-hitter Kyle Farmer, fensive effort drove the for the Dodgers, but he was Dodgers third base coach
Roberts said. Chicago manager Joe Dodgers to a 5-2 win in pulled for pinch-hitter Cur- Chris Woodward held up
“Twenty-nine years to the Maddon went to the bull- Game 1, Turner did it all in tis Granderson in the fifth Turner in the third when it
day. It was special. Our pen for the 38-year-old Game 2. He has 10 RBIs in in a debatable decision by appeared he could have
guys feel it.” Lackey, who pitched on the Dodgers’ five postsea- Roberts. scored from first on Cody
Another generation of consecutive days for the son games, getting five in Russell was off to a 4-for- Bellinger’s double to the
Dodgers fans now has its first time in his 15-year ca- the playoff opener against 22 start in the postseason left-center gap.
own historic homer, and reer. Arizona. with nine strikeouts before Javier Baez, the other
these Dodgers are growing Lackey got the call over Addison Russell homered in the slugging shortstop put co-MVP of last season’s
increasingly confident they All-Star closer Wade Da- the fifth for the Cubs, who a leadoff homer into the NLCS for Chicago, got
can earn their first trip to vis, and the veteran starter are down early in this re- short porch in left field. to third base in the third
the World Series since 1988. walked Chris Taylor on six match of the 2016 NLCS. Turner tied it moments later with one out, but also was
Turner got swallowed up tense pitches. Maddon said Chicago won that series in by poking a two-out sin- stranded.q