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LOS ANGELES -- Before his plate appearance in the sixth inning on Tuesday, Justin Turner opted to return to a lighter bat, his normal 33 1/2-ouncer. That worked, too, like just about everything else he and the Los Angeles Dodgers have tried this year. "My first two at-bats I was swinging a little bit bigger bat," Turner said. "And I got beat (inside) a couple of times. So I'm going to switch back. Good thing I did, because I didn't get beat in the third time."
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Turner's two-run homer with the lighter bat was his fourth of the postseason, and his second straight game-decider at Dodger Stadium, leading Los Angeles to a 3-1 win over the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the World Series.
His three-run, walk-off home run with two outs in the ninth inning gave the Dodgers a 4-1 victory over the Cubs in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers finished off that series in five games.
On Tuesday, Turner hit a 1-2 pitch off Dallas Keuchel to break a 1-1 tie and give the Dodgers a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning. It was Los Angeles' first World Series appearance since Kirk Gibson's fist-pumping, walk-off homer triggered their 1988 championship.
The pitch before the homer appeared a little low and outside but it was called a strike, and Turner checked with plate umpire Phil Cuzzi before stepping back in.
"Just asked Phil where he had that pitch," Turner said. "He said it was a good pitcher's pitch. I told him I thought it was a little low and off the plate. And that was it. You step out and you take a deep breath and regroup, and go back to trying to battle one of the best pitchers in the game.
"You can't gripe about it for too long or you're going to be walking back to the dugout."
Turner has made some Dodgers history nine games into the postseason. He has 14 RBIs this October, a franchise record for a single postseason.
His 26 career postseason RBIs are tied with Brooklyn/Los Angeles center fielder Duke Snider for the most in franchise history, and his four homers are one short of Davey Lopes' franchise record for one postseason.
"You look at his career and this guy, I mean, all-time records for RBI," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "He just comes up with big hits. The on-base. The OPS. All those things. The home runs, it's hard to explain.
"But he's that guy that you want in the big spots, and he doesn't scare off."
Turner grew up in Los Angeles with the Dodgers, and before every game he walks through the hallway near the home clubhouse that contains pictures and memorabilia of the franchise greats. The Dodgers are playing this Series on the 70th anniversary of their 1947 NL pennant, when Jackie Robinson was a rookie.
Turner said he ran into Sandy Koufax before the game Tuesday.
"Sandy told me told me today, 162 (regular-season games) is work. Once you get to the playoffs, it's fun," Turner said.
"I thought that was a pretty cool way to look at it, and I agree with him a hundred percent. During the regular season it's work, it's a grind. Once you get onto these stages, it's fun.
"And just to be in the moment and soak it in and take a step back and look around and see almost 60,000 people in Dodger Stadium on their feet going crazy, it's pretty special."
