Chacin, bullpen blank Dodgers

Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers scores during the first inning of Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday in Los Angeles. The Brewers won 4-0 to take a 2-1 series lead.
Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers scores during the first inning of Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday in Los Angeles. The Brewers won 4-0 to take a 2-1 series lead.

LOS ANGELES -- Jhoulys Chacin combined with four relievers on a five-hitter, Orlando Arcia hit a two-run home run and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 on Monday to take a 2-1 lead in the National League Championship Series.

Los Angeles loaded the bases against Jeremy Jeffress in the ninth inning, but the struggling closer shut the door. He struck out Yasmani Grandal and pinch-hitter Brian Dozier to complete Milwaukee's third shutout in six playoff games this year.

Ryan Braun had an early RBI double off rookie Walker Buehler, who struck out eight in seven innings. Travis Shaw tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the sixth. Arcia connected for his third postseason home run in the seventh.

Chacin scattered three hits over 5 1/3 innings before giving way to Corey Knebel, who worked 1 2/3 perfect innings and struck out his last four batters.

With a runner on second and Milwaukee nursing a 2-0 lead, Knebel got Manny Machado to ground out before whiffing Cody Bellinger to end the sixth. The right-hander then fanned Yasiel Puig, Grandal and Enrique Hernandez in the seventh.

Joakim Soria retired Chris Taylor on a foul popup for the first out of the eighth. Josh Hader, who didn't pitch in Game 2 after tossing three scoreless innings in the opener, needed only eight pitches to strike out pinch-hitters David Freese and Matt Kemp to end the eighth.

"We're playing to win the series, not just games. Obviously, with Josh doing not as much tonight, there's lots of possibilities there going forward," Milwaukee Manager Craig Counsell said.

Justin Turner singled and Machado doubled to start the ninth for Los Angeles. Bellinger popped out before Puig drew a walk, but Counsell stayed with Jeffress, who settled down and came through.

Milwaukee's vaunted bullpen delivered after the Dodgers hit .333 and scored eight of their nine runs against Brewers relievers in the first two games, both decided by one run.

The Brewers entered these playoffs with one shutout in their postseason history.

"I love just the emotion of these games, the adrenaline everyone is able to play with," Braun said.

Milwaukee got to Buehler in the first on Braun's RBI double into the left-field corner that scored Christian Yelich, who walked.

Buehler retired 10 of the next 11 batters, with only Arcia reaching on an error by Machado at shortstop.

Sports on 10/16/2018

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