The Dodgers are heading to the National League Championship Series after eliminating Atlanta in four games, capping it off with a 4-1 victory on Wednesday, October 7th. They pushed across three runs in the final three innings to seal the deal, a “workmanlike” and “grindy” effort, as they say. This win marks their eighth consecutive postseason series victory, a truly wild run, and they are aiming for their third consecutive World Series championship.
This Is How You Win an NLDS: Workmanlike, Not Flashy
You gotta hand it to them, the Dodgers know how to get the job done. The on-field celebration after clinching Game 4 was super brief, almost like it was just another Game 62. Even the clubhouse histrionics, with Miguel Rojas and Dave Roberts sharing poignant words, felt reined in. The booze fountain only went for about 10 minutes, because when you are trying for your third straight World Series title and have made 14 consecutive trips to the playoffs, you learn to balance the excitement with the sheer difficulty of it all. Roberts knows what’s up, telling his team, “We understand that the job’s not done. We have eight more wins. Stay focused.” That’s the mindset of a team built for October.
The Braves Showed the Dodgers Their Own Mortality
While the Dodgers are moving on, it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. Atlanta actually made them aware of their own mortality for about 36 hours of this National League Division Series. Yeah, the Braves were outmanned, and they were definitely diminished after a grueling three-game wild card series survival against Philadelphia. The source said the Dodgers “Beat the Freeze,” which is a cool metaphor for overcoming a tough challenge. But the article also says that in the NLCS, and maybe the World Series, they are not gonna have that head start. The Dodgers won 100 games this season, but a bunch of injuries and ailments that started to pop up late in the year seemed pretty clear against Atlanta. Roberts might say, “There’s no more talented team than the Los Angeles Dodgers. We’re smarter, we’re better and we’re tougher,” but it is fair to ask if “better” truly applies when it matters most, you know, right now.
Now, the Dodgers are staring down the National League Championship Series. They got their eight straight series win, but that taste of vulnerability against Atlanta is something they gotta clean up fast. Every game from here on out is a battle, and they are still hunting those eight more wins to clinch another World Series championship.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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