Blake Snell produces pitching ‘masterpiece’ as LA Dodgers win NLCS opener, while Mariners take 2-0 ALCS lead
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell produced such an impressive performance that even the other team’s manager lauded him after LA took a 1-0 lead in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) on Monday.
The Dodgers eventually held on for a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, courtesy of Snell’s brilliant display in which he struck out 10 batters and allowed one hit and no walks in eight shutout innings.
“He was great,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy told reporters after the game. “The kid was incredible. I’ve seen him pitch like that before.
“It’s the most dominant performance against us, I’ve been here 10 years.”
Meanwhile, LA first baseman Freddie Freeman called it a “masterpiece” performance.
The Dodgers signed Snell last year after their World Series win in a reported five-year, $182 million deal and he hasn’t disappointed in his first postseason for the team.
The 32-year-old has given up just two runs over 21 innings during this year’s playoffs, as he cements himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball.
The dream now, he said, is to help the Dodgers retain the Commissioner’s Trophy.
“Even playing against them, watching, it was just always in the back of my mind, like, I wanted to be a Dodger and play on that team,” Snell said after the win.
“To be here now, it’s a dream come true. I couldn’t wish for anything more. I’m just going to do the best I can to help us win a World Series.”
While Snell rolled out the red carpet for the Dodgers to win, his teammates almost let it fall apart at the end.
LA’s bullpen looked unconvincing in the ninth and almost allowed the Brewers to sneak back into the contest, despite trailing 2-0.
Milwaukee cut the deficit in half with a run off rookie Roki Sasaki and had the bases loaded before Blake Treinen struck out Brice Turang to clinch the win for the Dodgers.
“That’s kind of what you envision in the playoffs. You’re on the edge of your seat for all nine innings,” Freeman added. “That was a massive first win on the road for us in the NLCS.”
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is on Tuesday night in Milwaukee, with the Brewers looking to upset the odds against this stacked Dodgers team.
Mariners extend series lead
Elsewhere, the Seattle Mariners raced into a 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) after a dominant 10-3 win against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.
Julio Rodríguez and Jorge Polanco both hit three-run homers on a stellar night for the Mariners who are now just two wins away from reaching their first World Series final in franchise history.
With the score tied at 3-3 on Monday, Polanco’s three-run bomb in the top of the fifth set the Mariners on their way to another victory in the series.
The 32-year-old slugger called it the “turnaround” moment in Game 2 and it was one that Seattle didn’t look back from.
JP Crawford’s RBI single in the sixth extended the lead further before Josh Naylor’s two-run homer and a sacrifice fly from Crawford to score Eugenio Suárez in the seventh capped off the hot batting night for the visitors.
“Slug hasn’t been there for us, has been there for them,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said after the Game 2 defeat, as he looks to move his team on from the 0-2 hole.
Game 3 will be played back in Seattle and Mariners manager Dan Wilson is looking forward to playing in front of the home fans.
“We’re super excited to get back home,” he said. “We know what that atmosphere is going to be like.”
The-CNN-Wire
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