The Los Angeles Dodgers needed a win in Game 5 of the NLCS to keep their 2021 season alive, and they got the job done.
L.A. used a great all-around effort to earn an 11-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
The Dodgers are still going to need to win two more games to advance to the World Series, but the team is still kicking.
One player in particular rose to the occasion for L.A. in Game 5: Chris Taylor.
The 31-year-old had the game of his life, blasting three home runs and driving in six runs.
He etched his name into Dodgers lore with the performance.
Let’s take a look back at the night he had.
Taylor’s 1st Home Run Of The Night
Taylor’s first blast of Game 5 came in the second inning.
With the Dodgers trailing 2-1, the veteran took Max Fried deep to left field for a two-run shot.
It gave L.A. a 3-2 lead.
GO AHEAD, CHRIS. pic.twitter.com/GTOIbDgDqg
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 22, 2021
Taylor’s first homer was arguably his most important shot of the game.
The Dodgers won this one pretty comfortably, but without Taylor’s second-inning fireworks to put L.A. in front, there’s no telling how the rest of the game would have unfolded.
Taylor’s 2nd Home Run Of The Night
In the fifth inning, Taylor let the Braves know that he wasn’t messing around.
With two outs and a runner on, he smoked an 0-2 fastball to right-center.
It gave the Dodgers a 6-2 lead, and realistically, it put the game out of reach.
AND HE'LL DO IT AGAIN. pic.twitter.com/knMCY31tMY
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 22, 2021
This homer came off of Chris Martin.
It was Martin’s third appearance of the NLCS, but Taylor’s bomb marked that the first run that the righty allowed in the series.
Taylor’s 3rd Home Run Of The Night
Just for good measure, Taylor went deep one more time in the seventh inning.
He clubbed a 2-2 pitch to left-center, and it cleared the wall for his third home run of the game.
A TAYLOR-MADE GAME FOR CHRIS. pic.twitter.com/sNc1K9HVOy
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 22, 2021
This one gave the Dodgers a 7-2 advantage.
The result of the game wasn’t really in question at this point, but it was still an awesome moment for Taylor.
He became the 11th player in MLB history to hit three home runs in a playoff game.
Chris Taylor was on 🔥 🔥🔥🔥🔥fire for the @Dodgers becoming the 11th player in MLB history to hit 3 home runs in an MLB playoff game!!!AND he had 6 RBIs 🥵
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 22, 2021
It was an unforgettable showing from the former fifth-round pick.
Taylor’s Postseason At A Glance
Taylor is having a memorable postseason.
Over 10 games, he has a slash line of .364/.436/.818.
That’s an OPS of 1.254.
In the NLCS, his numbers are even more insane: .529 batting average, .600 on-base percentage, 1.176 slugging percentage, 1.776 OPS.
He has driven in nine runs in the series.
L.A. isn’t out of the woods at all in this NLCS, but if Taylor keeps producing like this, the team is going to have a very real chance at overcoming the deficit.
The series now shifts back to Atlanta for the final two games.
The Dodgers were a great road team throughout the regular season, but their success away from home will be put to the ultimate test in Games 6 and 7 of this NLCS.
If L.A. can find a way to advance to the World Series, it’s going to be very hard to bet against this team, especially with a weapon like Taylor.
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