SAN FRANCISCO
Sure is hard to send these San Francisco Giants home in October.
Joe Panik doubled off the right-center wall in the 13th inning to drive in Brandon Crawford, and the Giants outlasted the Chicago Cubs 6-5 on Monday night in Game 3 to extend their NL Division Series.
Boosted by Conor Gillaspie’s go-ahead triple in the eighth off Aroldis Chapman, the Giants rallied from a three-run deficit and won their 10th straight game when facing postseason elimination.
San Francisco overcame Kris Bryant’s two-run homer off closer Sergio Romo that tied it 5-all in the ninth, and an early three-run shot by pitcher Jake Arrieta against Giants ace Madison Bumgarner.
The wild-card Giants forced Game 4 at their raucous ballpark, postponing a potential Cubs clinch party in the visitors’ clubhouse.
Chicago leads the best-of-five playoff 2-1 and will send John Lackey to the mound tonight opposite lefty Matt Moore.
Teammates piled on Panik in celebration after he came through on the 57th pitch from Mike Montgomery, beginning his fifth inning of relief. Crawford hit a leadoff double on an 0-2 curve, bringing Panik to the plate.
Nationals 8, Dodgers 3
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jayson Werth always wanted to hit a home run out of Dodger Stadium when he played two seasons in the venerable ballpark. His latest attempt came close with a 450-foot blast into the upper reaches of the leftfield pavilion.
Werth’s homer helped break open a one-run game in the ninth inning, moving the Washington Nationals within one victory of taking a postseason series for the first time with an 8-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday and a 2- 1 lead in their best-of-five NL playoff.
Heck, he even tied Babe Ruth with his 15th career postseason homer, good for 11th all-time.
“Ever since Dusty (Baker) moved me into the two-hole, I just felt like my job is to get on base for the animals behind me,” said Werth, whose three hits tied a postseason career high.
Four relievers combined for 4 2/3 shutout innings, putting the Nationals in position to wrap up the NL Division Series on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
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