Bellinger robs Padres as Dodgers hold on for 2-0 NLDS lead

Cody Bellinger homered and robbed Fernando Tatis Jr. of a go-ahead shot, and Joe Kelly got the final out with the bases loaded in a tension-filled ninth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers barely held off the San Diego Padres 6-5 for a 2-0 lead in their NL Division Series

APTOPIX NLDS Padres Dodgers Baseball (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Cody Bellinger homered and robbed Fernando Tatis Jr. of a go-ahead shot, and Joe Kelly got the final out with the bases loaded in a tension-filled ninth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers barely held off the San Diego Padres 6-5 Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in their NL Division Series.

Kelly retired Eric Hosmer on a grounder to earn the save after Dodgers All-Star closer Kenley Jansen wobbled in the ninth. Los Angeles can sweep the best-of-five set from its NL West rival Thursday night.

Bellinger nearly went to a knee to hit a long home run and then kept the Dodgers ahead with a spectacular, leaping catch at the center-field fence.

The Padres were down one with a runner on and two outs in the seventh when Tatis hit a towering drive to center. Bellinger ran nearly 100 feet while watching the ball, then jumped and extended his gloved right hand above the 8-foot wall to make the catch.

Brusdar Graterol, the second Dodgers reliever after starter Clayton Kershaw, slung his glove and cap away and thrust both arms into the air to celebrate.

Game 3 is Thursday night, when with a win the Dodgers would advance to the NL Championship Series for the fourth time in five seasons. They went to the World Series in 2017 and 2018 before losing in a five-game Division Series to the Washington Nationals last October.

Corey Seager put the NL West champion Dodgers ahead to stay with his two-run double in the third and scored on the first of Max Muncy's two RBI singles in the game. Leading off the next inning, Bellinger went after a low pitch and drove it 433 feet to center to make it 4-1.

Kershaw followed up his gem in the clinching game of the first round against Milwaukee with six strikeouts and no walks over six solid innings to et the win. The lefty allowed three runs, including back-to-back solo homers by Manny Machado and Hosmer in the sixth, in his first start near his Texas home in a 13-season career.

Following walks to Tatis and Machado that loaded the bases, Kelly retired Hosmer for his first save this postseason after Jansen allowed two runs in the ninth, on a pinch-hit RBI double by Mitch Moreland before he scored on Trent Grisham’s single. Kelly came on with two outs and walked Tatis, the 21-year-old budding superstar, and Machado before Hosmer's groundout.

Zach Davies allowed four runs over five innings, the longest outing by a Padres pitcher in their five games this postseason. The right-hander struck out three without a walk but took the loss.

That came after Mike Clevinger was removed from the Padres active roster, meaning he is out until at least the World Series — if San Diego can recover to make it that far, and his elbow feels better.

Three-time NL Cy Young winner Kershaw grew up, went to high school and still lives about 25 miles from the Texas Rangers' new stadium. The Dodgers have played four regular-season series in Arlington since his big league debut in 2008, but none of those matched up with his turn in the rotation.

Kershaw could pitch there more this October, since the NL Championship and World Series will also be played in the $1.2 billion ballpark with a retractable roof that has been open for the NLDS.

In Game 2 of the best-of-three series against Milwaukee last Thursday, Kershaw struck out 13 over eight scoreless innings. Kershaw has a 2.43 career ERA in the regular season, but entered these playoffs after the abbreviated 60-game regular season with a 4.43 ERA in the postseason.

The Padres took a 1-0 lead in the second when Tommy Pham blooped a single just over the infield, and scored when Wil Myers lined a double into the right-center gap.

Seager's go-ahead double landed just fair down the right-field line, then ricocheted off the screen fronting the field-level club where Dodgers family members sat. The ball shot sideways away from right fielder Myers, allowing catcher Austin Barnes to score from first.

Muncy's second RBI single came in the seventh, after Justin Turner's sacrifice fly, to make it 6-3.

NOT AS HARD

Jansen was averaging 93-94 mph earlier this season, but rarely get above 90 mph in his 30 pitches (seven fastballs and 23 cutters). There were 11 pitches of at least 90 mph, only three of them above 92 mph.

HOMER NOTES

The Padres became the first team in 20 games this postseason to lose when outhomering their opponent. ... Kershaw became the first pitcher to allow back-to-back home runs three times in a postseason career, according to Elias Sports.

UP NEXT

Game 3 is Thursday, and neither team had announced a starting pitcher.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports