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All night, Justin Turner wanted to capitalize on the fastballs being sent his way. All night you could feel him getting frustrated that he couldn’t jack a home run thanks to a low fastball or a low-velocity pitch.
His swings got bigger and his cuts got more purposeful and he just wanted it. SO BADLY.
Well, he got it! In the bottom of the ninth inning, Turner hit a three-run, walk-off home run to give the Dodgers a 4-1 win over the Cubs and a 2-0 NLCS lead.
We don’t believe what we just saw! #NLCS pic.twitter.com/sJkKJhk3WU
— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2017
Even the swing is beautiful to watch. It’s out of there the moment it leaves the bat. Straightaway center field.
That walk-em-off swing. Justin Turner HR, 92 mph FB pic.twitter.com/JU25nUd2yq
— Brandon Curry (@bdotcurry) October 16, 2017
The home run came on the exact 29-year anniversary of Kirk Gibson’s legendary pitch-hit walk-off in Game 1 of the World Series in 1988. That year, as Dodgers fans know all too painfully, was the last year they won the Series.
Justin Turner's HR was to straightaway center.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 16, 2017
Kirk Gibson's was to right field ... remember he was pinch-hitting, playing hurt pic.twitter.com/1NUGrsXtHO
He said he was planning on mimicking Gibson’s fist bump but held off. Which is probably for the best, you don’t want to piss off the Baseball Gods.
Does Turner’s home run heroics bode well for their Series fate this year too? Superstition and fate have a big hand in fans’ love for the game, but whether they actually mean anything is another story.
Either way, Turner’s walk-off in Game 2 just got the Dodgers two games closer to getting a real shot at winning it all in 2017. If he keeps performing for the team like he has been, their chances look good.