World Series: How Cody Bellinger reversed course and saved Dodgers
Cody Bellinger
Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE USA TODAY Sports' Steve Gardner and Ted Berg break down Game 4  which saw the Dodgers conjure some late-game magic and to beat the Astros and even the World Series at 2-2.  USA TODAY Sports
Cody Bellinger  broke out of  his  World Series slump with two doubles in Game 4. (Photo: Ezra Shaw  Getty Images)
HOUSTON — Well  guess who finally slipped past the red velvet ropes  got into the World Series party  and made  his  presence known in spectacular fashion?
Welcome to the World Series   Cody Bellinger   you arrived just in the nick of time Saturday night to save the Los Angeles Dodgers’ season.
It was  Bellinger  who tied this critical Game 4 in the seventh inning   Bellinger  who drove in the Dodgers' first go-ahead run in the ninth inning since Kirk Gibson in 1988  and it was Bellinger who helped lead the Dodgers to a 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros  tying the World Series at 2-2 and guaranteeing it returns to Los Angeles.
When  Bellinger  walked to the plate with one out in the seventh inning  and  his  drought had extended to 13 at-bats with eight strikeouts   he  was facing Astros starter Charlie Morton. The same guy who was pitching the game of  his  life  retiring 18 of the last 20 batters.
“We weren’t worried ’’ Seager said  “because he’s got no pulse.  He  doesn’t have a memory  either. Things go away. That’s what you have to do in baseball. You have to forget the past. Forget your last AB  and move onto your next one.’’
 Bellinger  had been fooled all Series on breaking balls  and jammed on fastballs  so  he  told  himself  to take the ball the other way. This is what  he  focused on during batting practice. This is what  he  told  himself  to do with  his  team down 1-0  and only eight outs away from going down 3-1 in the Series.
Morton quickly got ahead of  him   1-and-2  with  Bellinger  looking at one curveball for a strike and fouling off the next. Morton then tried to throw a fastball past him  but  Bellinger  didn’t chase it.  He  threw another curveball. This one missed too.
Morton came back one more time with a high curveball  and  Bellinger  pounced on it  hitting it to left field  drifting just to the right of the left field Crawford Boxes  toward the wall  into a crevice. Marwin Gonzalez could not track both the flight of the ball and the narrowing of the opening.
The ball caromed off the wall  and  Bellinger  had a double.
 Bellinger  stood on second base  wildly waving  his  arms  looking into the heavens  and screaming  “It’s a miracle!’’
“I hit it  and I was just hoping that it faded into the wall  ’’ Bellinger  said  “so  he  didn’t catch it. Luckily it did.
 Bellinger  signaled to umpires to toss the ball into the Dodgers dugout so  he  could keep it for a souvenir.
The Astros turned to beleaguered closer Ken Giles in the ninth  but Seager greeted him with a single  Justin Turner walked  bringing  Bellinger  up.
 Bellinger   jumping on a 1-0 fastball from Giles  hit a sharp double to the left-field gap  scoring Seager  and becoming the youngest player in World Series history  22 years old and 107 days  to produce two doubles in a game.
"Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE USA TODAY Sports' Steve Gardner and Ted Berg break down Game 4  which saw the Dodgers conjure some late-game magic and to beat the Astros and even the World Series at 2-2.  USA TODAY Sports 
[TGT] broke out of  [TGT]  World Series slump with two doubles in Game 4. (Photo: Ezra Shaw  Getty Images)
HOUSTON — Well  guess who finally slipped past the red velvet ropes  got into the World Series party  and made  his  presence known in spectacular fashion?
Welcome to the World Series   [TGT]you arrived just in the nick of time Saturday night to save the Los Angeles Dodgers’ season.
It was  [TGT]who tied this critical Game 4 in the seventh inning   [TGT] run in the ninth inning since Kirk Gibson in 1988  and it was [TGT] who helped lead the Dodgers to a 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros  tying the World Series at 2-2 and guaranteeing it returns to Los Angeles.
When  [TGT]walked to the plate with one out in the seventh inning  and  [TGT]  drought had extended to 13 at-bats with eight strikeouts   [TGT]  was facing Astros starter Charlie Morton. The same guy who was pitching the game of  [TGT]  life  retiring 18 of the last 20 batters.
“We weren’t worried ’’ Seager said  “because he’s got no pulse.  He  doesn’t have a memory  either. Things go away. That’s what you have to do in baseball. You have to forget the past. Forget your last AB  and move onto your next one.’’
 [TGT]had been fooled all Series on breaking balls  and jammed on fastballs  so  [TGT]  told  [TGT]  to take the ball the other way. This is what  [TGT]  focused on during batting practice. This is what  [TGT]  told  [TGT]  to do with  [TGT]  team down 1-0  and only eight outs away from going down 3-1 in the Series.
Morton quickly got ahead of  him   1-and-2  with  [TGT]looking at one curveball for a strike and fouling off the next. Morton then tried to throw a fastball past him  but  [TGT]didn’t chase it.  [TGT]  threw another curveball. This one missed too.
Morton came back one more time with a high curveball  and  [TGT]pounced on it  hitting it to left field  drifting just to the right of the left field Crawford Boxes  toward the wall  into a crevice. Marwin Gonzalez could not track both the flight of the ball and the narrowing of the opening.
The ball caromed off the wall  and  [TGT]had a double.
 [TGT]stood on second base  wildly waving  [TGT]  arms  looking into the heavens  and screaming  “It’s a miracle!’’
“I hit it  and I was just hoping that it faded into the wall  ’’ [TGT]said  “so  he  didn’t catch it. Luckily it did.
 [TGT]signaled to umpires to toss the ball into the Dodgers dugout so  [TGT]  could keep it for a souvenir.
The Astros turned to beleaguered closer Ken Giles in the ninth  but Seager greeted him with a single  Justin Turner walked  bringing  [TGT]up.
 [TGT]hit a sharp double to the left-field gap  scoring Seager  and becoming the youngest player in World Series history  22 years old and 107 days  to produce two doubles in a game."