Did the Dodgers Lose Again This Year?
On paper information technology was a mismatch on par with Buster Douglas fighting Mike Tyson.
In one corner, was twenty-game winner and Cy Young Accolade candidate Julio Urias. The Dodgers' lefty allowed just 1 run in eight innings confronting the Braves in the bubble terminal year, and had been so good this year, the team felt confident inserting him into a game whenever and wherever they saw fit.
In the other corner was 17-yr journeyman pitcher Jesse Chavez and veteran lefty Drew Smyly, together, they had a combined ERA over 4.00. Information technology was only inevitable LA would fifty-fifty the serial, correct?
Incorrect.
Chavez and Smyly combined for a perfect game through three innings, and a no-hitter through four. Meanwhile, Urias had his worst start in five years and emptied the tank on a nighttime that was supposed to be a celebration, non a wake.
The Braves combined to hitting four abode runs, defeating the Dodgers in a blowout, nine-2, in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Midweek night at Dodger Stadium. Atlanta now leads the best-of-vii serial 3-ane for the second direct year.
"Y'all never want to have your back confronting the wall," said Dodgers' managing director Dave Roberts nearly the 3-1 deficit. "That'southward non how you depict it up. But nosotros have a very resilient team, a very tough team, and it's non going to go much tougher than facing Max Fried in an emptying game, but we've done it before. Like I said, we got to win tomorrow and I really believe we're equipped to win tomorrow's ball game."
The Dodgers got knocked downwardly in the 2nd when Urias allowed dorsum-to-back home runs to Eddie Rosario and Adam Duvall.
It was the 3rd time the Braves had hit back-to-back homers in the postseason in their franchise history, and get-go since 2002.
"Nosotros told ourselves afterwards what happened yesterday, good or bad, that the biggest game is today. You just got to focus on getting a victory today and but proceed punching," said Duvall. "This is the time of the year where everything matters, every out, every pitch, every striking, every run, every defensive play, information technology all matters."
An inning later is Freddie Freeman's plough to tee off on an Urias' fastball.
"They're a practiced team," said Urias. "Nosotros had a program going into the game. Plain they made their adjustments. They striking the ball when I made those pitches. They made those adjustments throughout the game. Some of those pitches I thought were a little bit better than the results showed, but but kind of, it'southward just role of baseball game, it's just what happens."
Freeman started the NLCS 0-for-8 with seven strikeouts, but is 5-for-viii with a domicile run, a double, two RBI and two runs scored since.
Local
Local news from across Southern California
"I've washed null different. It's only baseball," said Freeman of his poor start to the serial. Simply when asked nearly the Braves ability to close out the Dodgers, something they weren't able to practice last year, he got serious.
"This is a whole unlike team, a whole unlike thing," said Freeman. "And so if anybody'due south thinking almost 2020, I think everybody wants to exist in a iii-1 lead, and then nosotros'll take it and hopefully nosotros -- we got Max going tomorrow so we're feeling pretty good."
The 3 habitation runs was the first time Urias had allowed 3 homers in the same game since June two, 2016 when he was merely a xix-yr-onetime rookie.
The Braves would tack on two more runs off Urias earlier he left the game afterwards the fifth inning, assuasive 5 runs on eight hits with two walks and 3 strikeouts. It was the worst playoff appearance of his career.
"I felt skilful physically. I just have to requite them credit for what they did today," sair Urias who was pitching on two days remainder after an appearance in Game 2. "That Rosario home run in detail, I didn't retrieve it was going to get out of the stadium and when it did it was just one of those things that happened. It was their day."
Huascar Ynoa was supposed to commencement Game four for Atlanta. He was scratched at the final-infinitesimal and Chavez took his place. Smyly was the Braves least reliable bullpen. He allowed five runs on nine hits against the Dodgers in a loss at Chavez Ravine on August 30. Atlanta inserted him considering they had no other options in a bullpen game. Instead, Smyly smashed all expectations.
"I mean, you're going to take bad starts when you're making 30 starts beyond the flavor. I shook that starting time off the next mean solar day and I was ready to pitch and I've simply been trying to brand the most of my opportunities," said Smyly of erasing that previous game at Dodger Stadium from his retentiveness. "And so I was excited to get back out in that location today and take another chance at 'em. I but took information technology like any other game, only get every out I can until they take the ball from me."
Dodgers' managing director Dave Roberts said his team looked "dead in the water" prior to Cody Bellinger's game-tying three-run homer that resuscitated them in Game 3. He said it was the "shot in the arm" his team needed and that the momentum would carry over into Game iv.
Less than 24 hours afterwards that declaration was fabricated the Dodgers looked expressionless on arrival to start Game 4. It took them five innings earlier they showed their showtime signs of life.
Justin Turner broke upwards the Braves no-hitter with a unmarried off Smyly to start the 5th. Bellinger moved him to third with a single to left-center, and AJ Pollock brought them both dwelling house past beating the shift on a single to centerfield that cutting the lead to 5-2.
"I was merely trying to hit a line drive the other mode and sometimes you exercise exactly what you want to exercise," said Pollock of his two-run unmarried. "Then I wasn't trying to practise too much with information technology."
The three-run deficit was exactly the aforementioned equally it was earlier Bellinger's nail in Game 3. But this time at that place would be no comeback, no drama, no dancing at Dodger Stadium.
Rosario, who finished a double shy of the cycle, delivered the knockout punch in the top of the 9th inning with a three-run boom into the Braves' pitcher that gave Atlanta a 9-two lead. Rosario finished the game 4-for-5 with two home runs, a triple, four RBI and three runs scored.
"I desire to try to assistance the team to win. Three RBI is amend than hitting a double," said Rosario of missing the cycle on his final swing. "I'thousand really proud of the effort that I've put in, proud of myself for the way things have been going on. But I'1000 still dreaming for bigger things. I kind of want more than at this betoken and only dreaming for the adjacent thing and hopefully we can get there."
Half-dozen Braves relievers combined to vanquish the Dodgers, and now it'south the Boys in Blue that volition be forced to throw a bullpen game on Thursday with their backs against the wall.
"Fried isn't going to feel sorry for usa. He'due south going to become for the jugular," Roberts said of Atlanta'southward ace on the mound in Game v. "Our backs are confronting the wall and no ane's going to feel distressing for u.s.. We've got to notice a way to stress him, get guys on base, and push them across, that'southward just the bottom line."
Unexpectedly, they detect themselves in a familiar position facing a 3-1 series deficit confronting Atlanta. They were in the same situation last season and they rallied to win three consecutive elimination games.
In order for history to echo itself, the Dodgers volition have to catch lightning in a bottle without three of their best players. Home run leader Max Muncy and future Hall-of-Famer Clayton Kershaw were already ruled out of this series before the postseason even began. Merely honorary team captain, and the Dodgers leader in about every offensive category in postseason history, Justin Turner, was injured wile running to first base in the 7th inning.
Turner grounded into a double play and came upwards limping on his way to first base. He appeared to reach back towards his left hamstring and immediately came out of the game and headed back to the locker room.
Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves checks on Justin Turner #x of the Los Angeles Dodgers after he suffered an injury during the seventh inning of Game 4 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 20, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo past Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
"Early indication it's a class [hamstring strain], and so I recall that volition be it for him [for the postseason]," said Roberts of the injury that is expected to end Turner's season.
If any team in baseball can win three straight games its the Dodgers. They won three games in a row 49 times during the 2021 season.
"No one needs to tell anyone that we tin can do it. We've done it," said Pollock. "We've been here. Obviously we got to grind tomorrow, just nosotros win tomorrow, we're non in a bad spot."
Win tomorrow, and the Dodgers go on their season alive. Hither'southward hoping history repeats itself.
Source: https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/sports/braves-dodgers-nlcs-game-four/2724560/
0 Response to "Did the Dodgers Lose Again This Year?"
Postar um comentário