Dodgers beat Brewers, stay in contention for NL West title

LOS ANGELES ― Twice this week, the Dodgers person staged melodramatic comebacks to instrumentality flickers of anticipation for winning a National League West title.

No comeback was needed Saturday. Not successful Dodger Stadium, astatine least.

After beating the Milwaukee Brewers 8-3, the Dodgers volition participate the last time of the regular play with a accidental to necktie the San Francisco Giants atop the part standings. They tin convey the San Diego Padres, who came from down successful San Francisco earlier Saturday to manus the Giants a 3-2 nonaccomplishment successful 10 innings.

The Giants (106-55) pb the Dodgers (105-56) by 1 game. Only a Giants nonaccomplishment to the Padres and a Dodgers triumph implicit the Brewers connected Sunday volition unit an other crippled Monday successful San Francisco to determine the part winner.

The second-place squad successful the part hosts the St. Louis Cardinals adjacent Wednesday successful the National League Wild Card game.

For the Dodgers, the stakes are palpable.

“It was connected successful the clubhouse,” Justin Turner said of the Giants-Padres crippled Saturday. “I was watching today. It was a bully buzz going astir the clubhouse heading into the game.”

Dodgers starter Julio Urías (20-3) constricted Milwaukee to 1 tally implicit 6 ⅓ innings. He did not let a deed aft Eduardo Escobar’s treble successful the archetypal inning. The left-hander walked 2 batters and struck retired 7 successful his 32nd and last commencement of the season.

Before Urías, nary Dodgers pitcher had won 20 games successful a play since Clayton Kershaw successful 2014. He is the 4th Mexican-born pitcher ever to triumph 20, joining Esteban Loaiza (2003), Fernando Valenzuela and Teddy Higuera (1986).

After retiring Christian Yelich to statesman the seventh inning, Urías got a connection of congratulations from Manager Dave Roberts and a lasting ovation from the announced assemblage of 49,705 astatine Dodger Stadium.

“I conscionable thought helium had the champion worldly he’s had successful astir apt 5 starts,” Roberts said of Urías.

An anticipated pitcher’s duel betwixt Urías and Brewers starter Corbin Burnes ne'er afloat materialized.

The archetypal inning acceptable the tone. Trea Turner punched a two-out, two-strike azygous to close field. Max Muncy worked a walk. Then Justin Turner deed a three-run location tally to near field, putting the Dodgers up 3-1.

“He fell down successful the number 3-and-0, made a beauteous bully transportation down and away,” Turner said of Burnes. “Got a cutter middle-in, enactment a bully plaything connected it, and gave america a small cushion. Let Julio spell retired determination and bash his thing.”

Burnes had already near the crippled erstwhile AJ Pollock tacked connected a two-run homer successful the 4th inning, and Corey Seager blasted a solo changeable to close tract successful the fifth.

Milwaukee entered the play already guaranteed of facing the National League East winner, the Atlanta Braves, successful the Division Series. Burnes is simply a beardown campaigner to transportation Game 1 of that series. Counsell opted to remainder his ace alternatively than widen him further.

“We went done the bid once,” Burnes said. “There was nary crushed to spell backmost retired there.”

In spite of his shortened start, Burnes mightiness person clinched an ERA title. Max Scherzer’s ERA roseate to 2.46 successful his commencement against the Padres connected Wednesday. By allowing 3 runs successful 2 innings, Burnes’ ERA roseate to 2.43.

Walker Buehler, 3rd successful the NL astatine 2.49, volition commencement Sunday for the Dodgers. He needs 5 scoreless innings to walk Burnes. Scherzer would lone get different regular play commencement Monday successful San Francisco if the Dodgers and Giants necktie for the NL West title.

The lone spotlight Saturday shone connected Urías, who became the 12th Dodgers pitcher ever to triumph 20 games successful a season. His 2.96 ERA makes him 1 of 8 qualified pitchers who volition decorativeness the play with an ERA nether 3.00.

Not counting outpouring grooming games, Urías had ne'er thrown much than 127 2/3 innings successful a play earlier this year. He finishes the 2021 regular play astatine 185 2/3.

“It’s evidently a dream,” Urías said done an interpreter. “It’s a imagination season.”

The Dodgers tin lone widen their dreams of winning 9 consecutive part titles by beating the Brewers again Sunday. The Giants-Padres crippled begins astatine noon too, which could marque for a dizzying time of scoreboard watching.

“It’ll beryllium up there,” Turner said of the people from San Francisco. “It’ll beryllium determination for everyone to spot who looks astatine it. The bottommost enactment is, we person to instrumentality attraction of our business, and spell retired and triumph a shot game.”