Walker Buehler and four relievers combined on a four-hitter and Kiké Hernandez, Shohei Ohtani and Max Muncy homered as the Dodgers defeated the New York Mets, 8-0, Wednesday evening at Citi Field in New York to take a two games to one lead in the National League Championship Series.
Game 4 of the best-of-seven series will be played Thursday, also at Citi Field.
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Teams leading an MLB best-of-seven series 2-1 have gone on to with the series 106 of 151 times, 70.2%, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, MLB's official statistician.
Buehler allowed three hits in four innings, struck out six and walked two. The right-hander generated 18 swings and misses, his most in a game, regular season or postseason, since Oct. 3, 2021 when he generated 20 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Dodgers opened the scoring in the second. Muncy led off with a walk. Teoscar Hernández hit a tapper 2 feet in front of home plate. Catcher Francisco Alvarez threw to second to try get the force on Muncy, but the throw hit him. Muncy moved to third and Hernández to second on Gavin Lux's ground out.
Will Smith, who entered the game batting .087 with two hits in 23 at- bats in the postseason, hit a bouncing ball that went off the glove of Luis Severino, the New York pitcher, and rolled to a stop before shortstop Francisco Lindor could field it, with Muncy scoring and Hernández advancing to third on the infield hit.
Hernández scored on Tommy Edman's sacrifice fly.
Kiké Hernandez hit a two-run homer in the sixth, Ohtani a three-run homer in the eighth and Muncy a solo homer in the ninth.
Michael Kopech (1-0), the second Dodger pitcher, was credited with the victory, pitching a perfect fifth with a strikeout.
Severino (1-1) was charged with the loss, allowing three hits and two runs in 4 2/3 innings.
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