LOS ANGELES >> Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager was 15 years old when Carlos Ruiz was putting together one of the best Octobers in baseball history.
Ruiz batted .385 in the 2009 National League Championship Series against the Dodgers, including a three-run home run in Game 1 against Clayton Kershaw. The Phillies eliminated the Dodgers that year, and Ruiz hit .333 in a six-game World Series against the New York Yankees.
Now the Dodgers’ backup catcher, Ruiz delivered a vintage performance Monday with his pinch-hit home run against Washington Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez. The two-run shot pulled the Dodgers within 4-3 and knocked Gonzalez out of the game, which the Nationals eventually won 8-3.