Dodgers‘ outfielder Chris Taylor on Thursday night in Game 4 of the NLCS did his part and then some to keep his team’s hopes alive.
With his Dodgers down 3-1 to the Braves and facing elimination in the best-of-seven series, Taylor hit three home runs in Game 4.
In doing so, he became just the 11th player in MLB history to homer three times in a postseason game. He’s the first since Enrique Hernández, then of the Dodgers, in Game 5 of the 2017 NLCS. Taylor’s current Dodger teammate Albert Pujols is also on the list thanks to his performance in Game 3 of the 2011 World Series. Taylor, however, is the first player ever to homer three times in a postseason game with his team facing elimination.
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Taylor’s first home run of the night came in the second inning off Atlanta starter Max Fried. Then he homered in the fifth off reliever Chris Martin. Finally, he notched his record-tying third home run off the game at the expense of Dylan Lee in the seventh:
That blast pushed the Dodgers’ lead to 7-2 in what, to repeat, is a must-win game for the reigning champs. Taylor’s other home run of the 2021 postseason was his walk-off blast against the Cardinals in the NL Wild Card Game. Suffice it say Taylor is forever a Dodger postseason hero, even if free agency takes him elsewhere this coming offseason.
