Pache has two-way day for Braves

It wasn’t yet enough to send the Braves to their first World Series since 1999, but Cristian Pache continued to show on Friday night why it was best to thrust him into the lineup when injury shook up the Atlanta outfield at the worst time.

The top Braves prospect produced on both sides of the ball in his fourth consecutive National League Championship Series start, knocking in an early run and later robbing a homer, though the Dodgers claimed Game 5 at Globe Life Field, 7-3, to fend off elimination and force a Game 6.

Cristian Pache 💪

The #Braves’ top prospect extends the lead! pic.twitter.com/QrKp0VByfN

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) October 17, 2020

Pache came to the plate with two runners on and one out in the second inning. He watched a 97.8-mph sinker go by for a strike one against Los Angeles right-hander Dustin May and bunted foul at a curveball to fall into an 0-2 hole. The 21-year-old then chipped the third offering into shallow right field for a single that drove in Dansby Swanson from third base and put Atlanta ahead, 2-0.

The knock gave Pache a hit and an RBI in each of the four games he's started this series.

"I think every baseball player kind of dreams of reaching the playoffs and then, ultimately, winning a World Series," Pache told reporters before Game 3. "For me, I can’t ask for much more. This is what I’ve always wanted, to be able to play in these types of situations.”

Pache grounded out in his only other two at-bats, the second of which was especially costly. In the seventh, after the Braves began the inning with an Austin Riley single and a Johan Camargo walk, Pache rolled a 3-2 pitch from Victor González to third. Justin Turner turned a 6-4-3 double play and thwarted Atlanta’s chance at a rally with the top of the order following behind Pache.

Redemption came in the following half-inning, when Max Muncy skied a fly ball 415 feet to center field. Pache raced back to the track, leapt a few feet shy of the wall and snagged what likely would have been the Dodgers’ fourth home run of the game. It was a strong adjustment by MLB Pipeline’s No. 10 overall prospect, who earlier ventured too close to the wall to make a similar effort on one of Corey Seager’s two home runs in Game 5.

Cristian Pache: good at defense. pic.twitter.com/Sjz3DTc776

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) October 17, 2020

Pache’s glovework is why the Dominican Republic native moved into center field once Adam Duvall was removed from Game 1 and ruled out for the rest of the series with a left oblique strain. But Pache now has an RBI in each of his four starts, as he doubled in a run in Game 2 and launched his first big league homer in Game 3.

“I’m really happy for him,” Braves manager Brian Snitker after Game 3. “He’s had some good at-bats since we put him in there, and that’s great. This is a great training ground for him and a great experience. He’s handled himself really, really well.”

Game 6 of the NLCS is scheduled for Saturday at 4:38 p.m. ET.

In other action:

Astros 7, Rays 4

The Astros erased a 3-0 deficit to even the American League Championship Series, and their opportunity to join historic company arrives with the help of three rookie hurlers. Andre Scrubb got two outs and surrendered a solo shot to Manuel Margot before Blake Taylor secured the final out in the seventh. Cristian Javier gave up Margot’s second homer in the eighth – a two-run shot – but kept the Astros on top with a pair of strikeouts before handing it off to veteran closer Ryan Pressly in the ninth to record the save and force Game 7. Rays No. 19 prospect and postseason star Randy Arozarena walked but was held hitless for the first time in five games. Tampa Bay’s No. 6 prospect Shane McClanahan had a difficult outing in his third postseason appearance. The No. 99 overall prospect was on the hook for three runs on five hits and a walk over 1 2/3 innings. Box score