Dodgers Fall Behind Braves 2-0 In NL Championship Series

ATLANTA, GA — The Dodgers fell behind 2-0 in their best-of-seven National League Championship Series against the Braves thanks to Atlanta's 5-4 victory Sunday night at Truist Park.

The Braves won on a walk-off hit for the second straight night, this time it was an Eddie Rosario ninth-inning single that went off the glove of Dodger shortstop Corey Seager. Atlanta's Dansby Swanson scored the winning run.

Reliever Kenley Jansen, who was the Dodgers seventh pitcher of the game, gave up the final hit, though Brusdar Graterol, who started the ninth inning, was tagged with the loss.

Twice, the Dodgers had two-run leads in the game: going up 2-0 on a first-inning, two-run homer by Seager and 4-2 in the seventh thanks to a two-run double by Chris Taylor.

But the Braves tied the game in the eighth inning with three consecutive hits off Dodgers lefty Julio Urias, who some felt was a surprise inclusion on Sunday because he is scheduled to start Game 4 of the series on Wednesday.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts disagreed with critics who felt Urias was an unusual option in relief.

"He hadn't thrown a bullpen and he was the best option at that point in time," Roberts said. "He was prepared for it. It was a perfect spot for him and getting him through that eighth to go to Kenley(Jansen) to finish the game."

Dodgers star righty Max Scherzer started the game, but exited with one out in the fifth inning after giving up two runs and striking out seven.

Scherzer's start was his second-shortest in the 14 he has made for the Dodgers since coming over in a mid-season trade from Washington.

"I would just say my arm was dead," Scherzer said after Sunday's game. "I could tell when I was warming up that it was still tired. And I've been in this situation before. You don't want to always go out there and pitch full strength. Usually in those situations kind of once you get past pitch 45 sometimes it kind of loosens up and you're able to get deeper into a game.

"But after that third inning, it didn't loosen up. It was still more tightening up. So I could tell that my pitch count was going to be limited. I wasn't going to be able to get truly deep into a game and I wasn't going to be able to get to that 95-, 100-pitch count. I knew it was going to be sooner than that."

The Dodgers lost 3-2 Saturday's Game 1 of the series, with the Braves Austin Riley delivering the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth.

After an off day Monday, Game 3 is scheduled for 2:08 p.m. Tuesday in LA, when righty Walker Buehler is expected to start for the Dodgers and righty Charlie Morton is scheduled to go for the Braves.

Scherzer said he's optimistic about his team's chances to jump back into the series.

"If the baseball sayings are right, you're only as good as your next day's starting pitcher ... and so we got Walk (Buehler) going on the mound and we definitely believe we can win with him," Scherzer said "So that will be our mindset ... just win the next game."

The teams will play Game 4 at 5:08 p.m. Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.

Game 5, if necessary, is scheduled for 5:08 p.m. Thursday, and would be in LA.

The entire series is being broadcast nationally on TBS.