Arizona wins a 5th straight postseason game for a 2nd straight series victory
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks made postseason history by becoming the first team ever to hit four home runs in one inning, and they finished off the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 in Game 3 for a sweep of the best-of-five National League Division Series on Wednesday night.
D-backs continued their improbable yet impressive run through the playoffs. They begam with a two-game sweep in the best-of-three wild-card series against the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers before knocking out the NL West champion Dodgers in the best-of-five divisional round.
Arizona advances to the NL Championship Series for the third time in the 26-year history of the club, and the first time since 2007. The Diamondbacks will open the NLCS on the road against the Atlanta Braves or the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.
Ninth-place hitter Geraldo Perdomo led off the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run, and one out later, Ketel Marte homered deep into the right field seats. With two outs, Christian Walker took Dodgers starter Lance Lynn deep, and Gabriel Moreno knocked Lynn out of the game with yet another solo shot for the Diamondbacks.
Earlier in his at-bat, Moreno hit what was first ruled a home run down the right field line, but it was reviewed and overturned to a foul ball.
Lynn, making his ninth career postseason start and 28th postseason appearance, lasted just 2 2/3 innings. That was the longest outing of the series for a Dodgers starter, with Clayton Kershaw only getting one out in Game 1 and Bobby Miller lasting 1 2/3 innings in Game 2.
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The Dodgers’ two biggest stars, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, combined to go 0-for-8 in Game 3 and finished the series 1-for-21 as a duo. Both struck out with the tying run on base in the top of the eighth against Arizona reliever Kevin Ginkel.
Diamondbacks rookie starter Brandon Pfaadt threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed just two hits. Reliever Joe Mantiply (2-0) tossed 1 1/3 shutout innings for the win. Paul Sewald pitched around a single in the ninth inning for his fourth save of the postseason.
Los Angeles, which won 16 more regular season games than the D-backs, rallied for two runs on four consecutive singles in the seventh, but pinch hitter Austin Barnes grounded out to end the inning.
Arizona lost Moreno, its catcher who has a team-leading three postseason home runs, to a bruised right hand. Moreno was injured in the top of the fifth inning but remained in the game until he was removed for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the fifth.
Lynn (0-1) allowed four run on six hits with no walks and one strikeout. He led the major in homers allowed in the regular season, 44.
