Astros, Braves surge towards World Series showdown

LOS ANGELES – The Atlanta Braves thrashed the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros handed out another drubbing to the Boston Red Sox as both teams moved within one victory of a World Series showdown on Wednesday.

The Braves, who had suffered an agonizing late defeat to the Dodgers in Game 3 on Tuesday, roared back with a 9-2 thrashing of the reigning World Series champions at Dodger Stadium to take a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series.

The Astros were similarly impressive on the road, demolishing the Red Sox 9-1 at Fenway Park.

The Braves can clinch a World Series berth with victory over the Dodgers in Game 5 in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The Astros, meanwhile, will take a 3-2 lead back to Houston, needing just one win to clinch the American League crown and a place in the World Series.

The Dodgers’ stirring fightback in Game 3 on Tuesday had been viewed in some quarters as a possible momentum shift in the series.

But the Braves stomped all over that idea early on Wednesday, smashing Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias for three home runs from Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall and Freddie Freeman.

A run-scoring single from Joc Pederson and a sacrifice fly from Duvall put Atlanta 5-0 up in the fifth.