The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 in the NL Wild Card Game to advance to the NLDS against their division rival, the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers edged out St. Louis in a pitching duel featuring future hall-of-famers Max Scherzer and Adam Wainwright in a game that remained 1-1 until the 9th inning.
After RP Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless top of the inning, Chris Taylor etched his name in Dodgers history with a 2-run walk-off HR to send them into the NLDS. Taylor, not typically known for his power, now has the only two-out walk-off HR in a winner-take-all postseason game in MLB history and the only walk-off bomb during a winner-take-all game in Dodgers franchise history.
Chris Taylor is the 1st player in @Dodgers history to hit a walk-off HR in a winner-take-all #postseason game. pic.twitter.com/Pik5JTdGEq
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) October 7, 2021
CHRIS TAYLOR’S WALK-OFF HR IS INSTANTLY 1 OF THE BIGGEST HITS IN DODGERS HISTORY
The Dodgers tied a franchise record for the most wins in a season this year with 106, matching their total from 2019, and look to repeat as World Series Champions. The Dodgers have had plenty of notable hits throughout their history, including Kirk Gibson’s walk-off HR in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series against the Oakland Athletics. Chris Taylor’s game-ending bomb over the Cardinals will live on in Dodgers history, especially if the Dodgers make a long playoff-run, just as Gibson’s HR has.
After putting himself in a “hitter’s count” at 2-1 with two outs and Cody Bellinger on second base, Chris Taylor was thrown a slider at the middle of the plate and crushed a walk-off HR to advance in the postseason. Taylor’s walk-off was unlike any other in Dodgers history, as it was their first walk-off HR during a winner-take-all postseason game in franchise history. Taylor has long been an underrated player in the loaded LA organization but now he delivered one of the most significant dingers the team has ever seen.
Winner-take-all walk-off HR
Chris Taylor is the 1st player in @Dodgers history to hit a walk-off HR in a winner-take-all #postseason game. pic.twitter.com/Pik5JTdGEq
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) October 7, 2021
NL Wild Card Game highlights
NL Wild Card pitching duel
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