Bellinger hits game winning homer, Dodgers win NL pennant over Braves

October 19, 2020

 

Cody Bellinger hit a long solo homerun to right field in the seventh inning Sunday night, to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to the National League pennant with a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series in Arlington, Texas.

An RBI single by Marcell Ozuna and a solo homer by Dansby Swanson had given Atlanta an early 2-0 lead, but Los Angeles tied it on a two run single by Will Smith in the bottom of the third. The Braves regained the lead when Austin Riley hit an RBI single in the fourth, before the Dodgers tied it once again in the sixth on an Enrique Hernandez solo homer setting the stage for Bellinger in the seventh. Atlanta had taken a 3-1 series advantage, before Los Angeles won the final three games to advance to their third World Series appearance in the last four seasons. The Braves, the National League East Division champions, finish their season at 43-29.

Los Angeles (52-20) seeks their first World Series title since 1988, when they face the Tampa Bay Rays (49-25) who seek their first ever championship in just their second ever Fall Classic appearance when the first pitch is thrown in Game 1 on Tuesday night at 8:09 p.m.