Mookie Betts homered and drove in three runs, Will Smith also went deep and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 7-2 on Tuesday night to force a decisive Game 5 in their NL Division Series.
The 107-win Giants host the 106-win Dodgers on Thursday night, with the winner advancing to face Atlanta in the NL Championship Series. The Braves eliminated Milwaukee earlier Tuesday.
The Atlanta Braves are headed back to the National League Championship Series for the second straight season.
The Braves’ Freddie Freeman hammered a two-out, first-pitch homer to center field in the bottom of the eighth off Josh Hader, the Milwaukee Brewers’ All-Star closer, lifting Atlanta to a 5-4 come-from-behind win on Tuesday, closing out the NL division series in four games.
With the clincher, Atlanta has now earned back-to-back berths in the NLCS for the first time since a five-year streak ending in 1999.
The Braves await the winner of the San Francisco Giants-Los Angeles Dodgers series.
The Houston Astros beat the Chicago White Sox 10-1 in Game 4 of the ALDS to advance to their fifth consecutive American League Championship Series.
Astros All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve had three hits including a big three-run home run to put the game away.
Houston beats Chicago three games to one in the ALDS.
The Astros will now play the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS.
