Dodgers' Justin Turner and Chris Taylor named 2017 NLCS co-MVPs

Turner and Taylor are the third set of co-MVPs in LCS history

By Mike Axisa

Oct 19, 2017 at 11:52 pm ET • 1 min read

For the first time since 1988, the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to the World Series.

The Dodgers clinched the 2017 NL pennant Thursday night with a blowout win over the Chicago Cubs (LAD 11, CHC 1) at Wrigley Field. Los Angeles won the best-of-seven series in five games.

Following Game 5, third baseman Justin Turner and the versatile Chris Taylor were named NLCS co-Most Valuable Players. They are the third set of co-MVPs in LCS history, joining Rob Dibble and Randy Myers for the 1990 Reds, and Jon Lester and Javier Baez for the 2016 Cubs.

Turner went 6 for 18 (.333) with two home runs and 7 RBI in the five games, plus he had more walks (five) than strikeouts (four). Most notably, Turner clubbed a walk-off home run in Game 2.

That is only the second postseason walk-off home run in Dodgers history, if you can believe that. The first was, of course, Kirk Gibson's iconic walk-off blast in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Turner's walk-off came 29 years to day after Gibson's.

Over the winter the Dodgers re-signed Turner to a four-year, $64 million contract. He joined the team as a minor-league free agent in 2014 and has since blossomed into one of the best hitters in the league. Turner hit .322/.415/.530 with 21 home runs and more walks (59) than strikeouts (56) in 130 regular season games in 2017.

Taylor, meanwhile, went 6 for 19 (.316) with a homer in the NLCS against the Cubs. The home run drove in the game-winning run in Game 1.

The Dodgers acquired Taylor from the Mariners in a minor trade last summer. He broke out in a big way this season, hitting .288/.354/.496 with 21 home runs and 17 steals in 140 games. Taylor did that while playing five different positions.

The NLCS MVP award has been around since 1977. Turner and Taylor are the fifth and sixth Dodgers to win it, joining Dusty Baker (1977), Steve Garvey (1978), Burt Hooton (1981), and Orel Hershiser (1988).

The Dodgers will face either the New York Yankees or Houston Astros in the World Series, which begins Tuesday in Los Angeles. The Yankees are up 3-2 in the ALCS.