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SPORTS Tuesday 9 OcTOber 2018

Machado, Dodgers finish off

Baby Braves in NLDS with 6-2 win

By PAUL NEWBERRY first. the Braves, accounting for
Associated Press He had only three hits in 14 of its 20 runs.
ATLANTA (AP) — When the series, but two of them “They’re a very powerful
the Los Angeles Dodg- were homers, along with six team,” Braves manager
ers bolstered their already RBIs. Brian Snitker said. “It’s what
power-packed lineup with “I’m just sitting here enjoy- they’ve done all year is hit
slugging shortstop Manny ing everything, enjoying home runs. We’re not built
Machado, this is just what the ride,” Machado said. like that yet.”
they had in mind. Ryan Madson (1-0) earned Los Angeles also ben-
Plenty of long balls. Another the win by getting the fi- efited from some shaky
deep run in the postseason. nal two outs in the fifth to Atlanta defense during
Next stop, the NL Champi- escape a bases-loaded its go-ahead inning. Puig
onship Series for the third jam. The Braves’ final gasp kept the sixth going with a
year in a row. came in the eighth, when popup down the line off
Machado drove in four Lucas Duda’s drive into the Jonny Venters (0-1) that fell
runs — three of them with second deck in right drifted between second baseman
a seventh-inning shot into foul with two on against Ozzie Albies and right field-
the left-field seats — and Kenta Maeda. Duda flied er Nick Markakis.
the Dodgers finished off the out to end the inning, and Puig stole second with-
Atlanta Braves with a 6-2 Atlanta went down quietly out drawing a throw and
victory Monday in the NL in the ninth. came home when backup
Division Series. The Dodgers celebrated shortstop Charlie Culber-
“There are so many expec- briefly and posed for pic- son failed to knock down
tations put on him,” Dodg- tures in the middle of Sun- Freese’s sharp grounder
ers manager Dave Roberts Trust Park, but they have up the middle. A super sub
said. “We have a lot of much bigger goals. Los An- during the regular season,
good players, but I can’t geles is seeking its first World Culberson had to start in
say enough about his focus Series title since 1988. the playoffs because of
and preparedness.” “We all know that there’s a an injury to regular Dansby
Los Angeles took the best- lot more work to be done,” Swanson.
of-five series 3-1 and ad- Robert said. “We have WILD STARTERS
vanced to face the Brew- eight more wins to go.” Rich Hill of the Dodgers
ers. Game 1 is Friday night Atlanta’s return to the post- walked five in 4 1/3 innings,
in Milwaukee. season for the first time including a pair leading off
Coming off a tense vic- since 2013 yielded a famil- the fifth that set up Suzuki’s Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Machado (8) celebrates his three-
run homer against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning
tory in Game 3, the Baby iar result. two-run single. Atlanta’s in Game 4 of baseball's National League Division Series, Mon-
Braves grabbed the lead The Braves have lost nine Mike Foltynewicz walked day, Oct. 8, 2018, in Atlanta. The Los Angeles Dodgers won 6-2.
on pinch-hitter Kurt Suzuki’s straight playoff appear- four (one intentional) in Associated Press
two-run single in the fourth. ances, their last victory four innings before he was
But David Freese, the 2011 coming 17 long years ago lifted. toss to the plate but still re- tles with one-game playoff
World Series MVP with St. against a team that is TOUGH OUT ceived a big ovation from victories the day after the
Louis, came through again no longer in the National Hill isn’t much of a hitter, but the Atlanta crowd. regular season.
in the postseason. He de- League. Since a sweep of he sure made Foltynewicz Chipper Jones threw out Atlanta opens the 2019
livered a pinch-hit single Houston Astros in the 2001 work for an inning-ending the first pitch before Game season at Philadelphia on
in the sixth off Brad Brach, NL Division Series, October strikeout in the fourth. 3. March 28.q
driving home Cody Bell- has been a month of misery After falling behind 0-2 in SMALLER CROWD
inger and Yasiel Puig for a for the Braves. the count, Hill fouled out The announced crowd of
3-2 lead. Getting back to the play- five straight pitches. 39,586 was nearly 3,000
Machado finished off offs ahead of schedule Finally, Foltynewicz blew a smaller than the previous
Atlanta in the seventh, after a massive rebuild, 97-mph fastball by the .107 night’s record SunTrust Park
launching a 1-2 pitch from Atlanta simply didn’t have career hitter. turnout, perhaps because
rookie Chad Sobotka over the experience, depth FIRST PITCH of a 4:30 p.m. start time
the Dodgers’ bullpen — his or power to stick with the The Braves brought out that coincided with Atlan-
team’s eighth homer of the power-packed Dodgers. another Hall of Famer to ta’s notorious rush hour.
series. A free-agent-to-be Los Angeles had a fran- deliver the ceremonial first UP NEXT
acquired from Baltimore in chise-record 235 homers pitch. The Dodgers beat Milwau-
July, Machado also had a during the regular season Former Atlanta manager kee 4-3 in the season series.
run-scoring double in the and hit eight more against Bobby Cox one-hopped his Both teams won division ti-