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The Los Angeles Dodgers, led by the brave performance of pitcher Clayton Kershaw, shook off a crushing loss to beat Tampa Bay, 4-2, and are closing in on a victory of their first World Series title in 32 years on Sunday. .
Joc Pederson and Max Muncy homered for the Dodgers and Kershaw posted his 13th career postseason victory, his fourth this postseason, as Los Angeles took a three-game lead in the major league’s best game. seven championship series.
“Tonight was a routine, right to the end,” Kershaw said. “My slider was not as good as in the first game. But I stayed with the game plan.
“Giving just two runs is huge for me.”
Kershaw and the Dodgers, who fell terrifyingly short in World Series appearances in 2017 and 2018, can secure their first title since 1988 in Game 6 at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Tuesday.
“It’s very exciting, but at the same time we have to win one more. I’m going to hold it together for one more game, ”Kershaw said.
Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner whose Hall of Fame resume lacks a World Series title, pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs and five hits.
His six strikeouts brought his career postseason tally to a record of 207, topping Justin Verlander’s 205.
Perhaps his most memorable home pitch of the night, however, it wasn’t a pitch, but rather a rough pitch to cut Manuel Margo as he tried to steal home and thwart a Rays rally attempt.
The Dodgers insisted they had gotten over the disappointment in Game 4, when a pair of Dodgers errors helped the Rays win 8-7 after their last strike.
It certainly looked like they left him behind when they pounced on Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow in the first inning.
Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager said fighting Glasnow and increasing his pitch count would be key, and Los Angeles did a good job.
Mookie Betts led off with a double and scored on a single by Seager. Seager finished second and third on two wild pitches by Glasnow and scored on a single by Cody Bellinger before Glasnow, who became the first pitcher to throw three wild pitches in a World Series game, ended the inning after hitting 34. releases.
Pederson led off the second with a home run, hitting Glasnow’s 98 mph fastball over the left-center wall to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.
Muncy’s towering home run on a two-out Glasnow fastball in the fifth put the Dodgers up 4-2.
“That one felt pretty good,” Muncy said. “(It is) not many times the right middle of the canyon is connected. It felt really solid. “
The Rays were down two runs in the bottom of the third when Yandy Diaz hit a line on the right-field line that Betts couldn’t corner for a run-scoring triple.
Diaz scored on a single by Randy Arozarena, whose 27th hit of these playoffs gave him the record for most in a single postseason.
Kershaw kept the Rays from building momentum, despite aggressive efforts by Manuel Margot, who walked to open the fourth, stole the second and made it to third when he failed to catch him in the second.
Kershaw nailed Margot while trying to steal home to end the inning and retired three in a row in the fifth and two in the sixth before turning over Dustin May.
“It has happened to me before”, of Margot’s attempt to rob her house. “I work on that with first baseman. Now I just know that I have to take a quick step and launch it.
“That was a great challenge for us.”
Rays manager Kevin Cash called it a “frustrating tackle.”
“Man on third, no outs, first and third, no outs. Pop up, punch, and then get kicked out trying to do that. Ideally, we have to find a way to make that guy tie the game there. “
Dodgers fans, most of the 11,437 in attendance at the neutral venue, booed when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts went to the mound to tell Kershaw that his night was over after he retired the first two hitters from the sixth inning.
But they cheered for Kershaw as he headed for the dugout and the Dodgers bullpen didn’t let them down.
May recorded five outs before giving up to Victor Gonzalez, who faced the possible run ahead at the plate in the eighth but retired Arozarena and Brandon Lowe to end the inning.
The rays aim to bounce
Blake Treinen allowed an opening single in the ninth, but retired the next three to win the save.
While the Dodgers looked to Tuesday saying they should stay focused on the game at hand and not lifting the trophy, the Rays said they would come ready to recover.
Tampa Bay won Game 5 and Game 7 series this postseason, and Kiermaier said they could do it again.
“If there is any team that can respond well with its back against the wall, knowing what is at stake, now we are in a situation where it is to win or go home, our group is the group to overcome,” he said.
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