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Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Cody Bellinger made the play of the game with a home run robbery of Fernando Tatis Jr. to help the Los Angeles Dodgers hang on for a narrow win over the San Diego Padres in Game 2 of the National League Division Series. The Dodgers now own a 2-0 series lead after the 6-5 win Wednesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Bellinger also went 1 for 4 with a home run and an RBI in the victory.
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"It's going to take a while to wind down from that one," Bellinger said of the victory. "That was postseason baseball."
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw allowed six hits and three runs in six innings to earn the postseason win.
Bellinger's acrobatic game-saver came in the top of the seventh inning. Tatis Jr. stepped into the batter's box with a man on second base during the sequence. He smacked the first pitch he saw from Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol to dead center field.
Bellinger tracked the ball and drifted back toward the warning track before he jumped toward the outfield fence. He used his gloved right hand to snag the ball for the third out of the inning just before it could go over the fence.
The ball cruised 105 mph off Tatis' bat and went 413 feet, according to Statcast. A home run from Tatis would have given the Padres a 5-4 lead.
Justin Turner and Max Muncy each drove in runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to push the Dodgers lead to 6-3. The Padres attempted a rally in the top of the ninth inning, but fell short in their comeback effort. Mitch Moreland hit an RBI double and Trent Grisham hit an RBI single in the top of the final frame for San Diego.
Padres right fielder Wil Myers plated Tommy Pham on an RBI double for the first run of the game in the top of the second inning. The Dodgers responded with an RBI double from Corey Seager and a Muncy RBI single in the bottom of the third frame.
Bellinger then hit a leadoff solo shot in the bottom of the fourth frame. The Dodgers center fielder hit a changeup from Padres starter Zach Davies to center field for a 433-foot home run to give Los Angeles a 4-1 edge.
Padres sluggers Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer then led off the top of the sixth inning with back-to-back solo homers to cut the Dodgers lead to 4-3. Bellinger then took flight in the top of the next inning to prevent the Padres comeback.
Dodgers relief pitcher Kenley Jansen allowed three hits and two runs in the ninth inning before right-handed pitcher Joe Kelly entered the game and picked up a save.
Seager went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored in the win. Mookie Betts, Austin Barnes and Muncy each collected two hits for the Dodgers.
Tatis went 0 for 4 in the loss. Pham and Jake Cronenworth had two hits apiece for the Padres.
The Dodgers face the Padres in Game 3 at 9:08 p.m. EDT Thursday in Arlington. The winner of the series faces the Miami Marlins or Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series. The Braves lead that series 2-0.
