LOS ANGELES — Jhoulys Chacin combined with four relievers on a five-hitter, Orlando Arcia hit a two-run homer and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 on Monday to take a 2-1 lead in the NL Championship Series.

Los Angeles loaded the bases against Jeremy Jeffress in the ninth inning, but the struggling closer shut the door. He struck out Yasmani Grandal and pinch-hitter Brian Dozier to complete Milwaukee’s third shutout in six playoff games this year.

Game 4 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, with left-hander Rich Hill pitching for Los Angeles. The Brewers had yet to announce a starter.

Ryan Braun had an early RBI double off rookie Walker Buehler, who struck out eight in seven innings. Travis Shaw tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the sixth. Arcia connected for his third postseason homer in the seventh.

Chacin scattered three hits over 51/3 innings.

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BRAVES: Brian Snitker has a two-year contract for only the second time in his 41 years with Atlanta.

It’s little wonder that Snitker, who turns 63 on Wednesday, said he never assumed he’d be asked to return as manager even after leading Atlanta to a surprise NL East division title and its first playoff berth since 2013.

“I’ve been around long enough to know you’re never guaranteed tomorrow in this business,” Snitker said after his two-year deal was announced by General Manager Alex Anthopoulos. The deal includes a club option for 2021.

Snitker began his long run with the Braves as a minor league player in 1977 and spent 20 years as a minor league manager in addition to stints as Atlanta’s bullpen coach and third-base coach. He said that his only previous two-year contract came when Bobby Cox became general manager in 1985.

Now, as a leading candidate to be NL manager of the year, he again has more than a one-year contract.

“It does give you a sense of accomplishment, I guess,” Snitker said. “I feel really good about it. I feel good I have the opportunity to stay around longer and be a part of this.”

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Pitching coach Chuck Hernandez won’t return. All other members of Snitker’s coaching staff also received two-year deals.

Anthopoulos said it was his suggestion to replace Hernandez, who he said is “open-minded” about possibly returning in another capacity. Anthopoulos said Snitker had to be talked into replacing Hernandez.

“The human being he is, I think he would have had continuity there. … I had some concerns. The more we talked about it, he understood,” Anthopoulos said.

Snitker said “I was that guy” who was reassigned in 2013, moving from Atlanta’s third-base coach to Triple-A Gwinnett’s manager.

Snitker said Hernandez is a “wonderful, really good pitching coach.”

“I get that in the process sometimes you want to go in a different direction,” he said.

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Anthopoulos wouldn’t elaborate on his concerns with Hernandez. He said there is no time frame on hiring a new pitching coach and said the search could include internal candidates.

Snitker was named interim manager in May 2016 after Fredi Gonzalez was fired. Snitker will be heading into his third full season as the club’s manager in 2019.

Anthopoulos said he was impressed with Snitker’s leadership from the dugout.

“When we did hit a bump in the road, lost four games in a row, he was steady,” Anthopoulos said. “Some guys panic.”

After a third straight 90-loss season in 2017, the Braves improved to 90-72 with some of baseball’s best young talent, including Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Mike Foltynewicz.

CUBS: Chicago hired Anthony Iapoce as its major league hitting coach, replacing the fired Chili Davis.

Iapoce was the major league hitting coach for Texas the last three seasons. He spent the previous three years in the Cubs’ organization. The team said he’s familiar with many of the big league players.

During Iapoce’s three years in Texas, the Rangers ranked fifth in the American League in runs and fourth in home runs. The 2017 Rangers were the first MLB team with nine players to reach at least 17 homers in the same season.

DODGERS: Outfielder Joc Pederson and his wife, Kelsey, welcomed a girl named Poppy on Sunday night. The team said she weighs 7 pounds and 11 ounces.


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