Bellinger HR sends Dodgers to 3rd World Series in 4 years

Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated as Cody Bellinger’s drive soared deep into Texas night. Bellinger flung his bat off to side and strutted up first-base line.

All way to World Series.

Bellinger hit a tiebreaking solo homer in seventh inning, and Dodgers advanced to Fall Classic for third time in four years by topping Atlanta Braves 4-3 in Game 7 of NL Championship Series on Sunday night.

Bellinger connected an inning after Kiké Hernández became first pinch hitter with a game-tying or go-ahead homer in a winner-take-all-game. His homer tied it at 3 and, like Bellinger's, came on eighth pitch of at-bat.

Dodgers, who matched an LCS record with 16 homers, overcame a 3-1 series deficit by winning three consecutive games when facing elimination for only second time in ir storied history.

After winning both ir NL Division Series and NLCS in new $1.2 billion Globe Life Field, Dodgers get to stay in place for World Series. Game 1 against American League champion Tampa Bay Rays is Tuesday night.

Dodgers again will try to win ir first World Series title since 1998. y lost Game 7 at home three years ago to to Houston Astros, and n lost in five games to Boston Red Sox in 2018 when Mookie Betts was AL MVP and playing against Los Angeles.

Tampa Bay’s win in Game 7 of ALCS late Saturday night wiped out chance for an October rematch with Astros, whose 2017 World Series victory over Dodgers has been heavily tarnished by revelations of Houston’s sign-stealing tactics that season.

Betts, first-year Dodger signed for 12 more years, made ar incredible defensive play, robbing NL MVP candidate Freddie Freeman of a solo homer in fifth. Corey Ser was named NLCS MVP after bashing five homers against Braves.

Julio Urias, fifth Dodgers pitcher, retired last nine batters for his fourth win in four appearances this postseason. 24-year-old right-hander, already in his fourth postseason, has a 0.57 ERA in se playoffs.

massive shot to right by reigning NL MVP and 2018 NLCS MVP Bellinger came on a 94-mph sinker after fouling off three pitches in a row by Chris Martin, fifth Braves pitcher who started seventh with strikeouts of Max Muncy and Will Smith.

Hernández led off sixth with a 424-foot drive to left-center off A.J. Minter.

Dansby Swanson homered for Atlanta, which hasn't been to World Series since 1999.

Before late drama, it was first winner-take-all game in postseason history matching rookie starters.

Dodgers scored twice in third to tie it at 2, first runs allowed by Ian Anderson in his four postseason starts — 22-year-old right-hander started only six games for Atlanta in regular season. His scoreless streak of 17 2/3 innings was third-longest to start a postseason career.

Justin Turner drew a two-out walk, Muncy doubled and Will Smith bounced a two-run single through open gap near second created by defensive shift.

Dodgers' Dustin May became first pitcher to walk first two batters in a winner-take-all-game — and 23-year-old from nearby Justin, Texas, did so without throwing a strike to Acuna or Freeman. Braves didn’t even swing at a pitch until Marcell Ozuna’s sharp single through left side of infield on an 0-1 curveball for a 1-0 lead.

Swanson became 14th different player to homer in series, most ever in an NLCS. He was sixth Atlanta player to go deep, while Dodgers had eight. ... two teams combined to hit 25 homers, tied for second-most in any LCS.

Dodgers and Rays last played in 2019, when y split two games in Los Angeles and split two in Tampa Bay. That was same as when y had previously played in 2016.