SAN FRANCISCO — Los Angeles Dodgers beat San Francisco Giants 2-1 in Game 5 of NL Division Series to advance to face Atlanta in NLCS.
Former Met Wilmer Flores struck out against Max Scherzer to end the game, despite clearly appearing to check his swing. But first-base umpire Gabe Morales said Flores swung when the Dodgers catcher Will Smith appealed, and now Los Angeles will face the Braves in the NLCS.
Cody Bellinger hit a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning and prized midseason acquisition Max Scherzer came out of the bullpen for a save, sending the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Giants in a thrilling winner-take-all.
Bellinger’s big hit came after a 3-for-14 showing this postseason and capped a scintillating NL Division Series it seemed nobody wanted to see end given the talent and win totals involved in the latest exciting chapter of this storied rivalry.
Mookie Betts had a postseason career-high four hits and will lead the next step in LA’s championship defense at Atlanta for Game 1 of the NLCS on Saturday.
Camilo Doval plunked Justin Turner with one out in the ninth and Gavin Lux then singled before Bellinger delivered his most meaningful hit in a scrutinized season.
Scherzer, the Game 3 loser who came from Washington at the trade deadline, closed out a best-of-five series certain to go down among the several classics these franchises have played — right up there with the 1951 and ’62 clubs that each matched up in three-game tiebreakers for the NL pennant that the Giants won each time.