The Los Angeles Dodgers prolonged their season for one more game after their 8-0 victory on the road against the San Diego Padres in the 2024 National League Division Series.
Following a brutal Game 3 in which they beat themselves in a 6-5 loss before being forced to use an innumerable amount of bullpen arms to get through Game 4, the Dodgers had every reason to fold in Wednesday night’s matchup and leave San Diego with yet another early postseason exit.
But that did not come to be as the team’s biggest stars came through with big hits and each pitcher that trotted out of the bullpen did what needed to be done for the Dodgers to collect a historic win in Game 4 and force the series back to Dodger Stadium.
Excluding the Padres’ Game 2 blowout, the Dodgers have shown the ability to get up off the mat in this series, even in losing efforts like Game 3, and it stems from a very real belief in the clubhouse that no deficit is insurmountable for this team.
“We’re super resilient,” Clayton Kershaw said. “Even [Tuesday] night, we lose that game, but Teo (Hernández) hit a big grand slam. We’re one game away from winning that game. We’re never out of a game, everybody believes in each other. It sounds cliché, but it’s kind of next-man-up mentality for us.
“Obviously, dealing with a lot. We’ve got some guys banged up, but it seems like anybody who comes in, there’s a lot of belief in getting the job done. As a spectator, it’s pretty fun to watch.”
It is nothing new for a Dodgers team that had battled all throughout the regular season as they had to deal with an increasingly depleted starting rotation and even losing Mookie Betts for eight weeks. They were perhaps one dreadful defensive inning in Game 3 from walking out of Petco Park with the series in hand, but their focus is now set on Game 5.
“We’re a resilient team,” Michael Kopech said. “I think everybody on this team has a good amount of tenacity. We have a will to win that I think is unmatched. We wanted to come in here and take two. I think we played a good game [Tuesday] night but to do what we did today set the tone going back to L.A.”
Dave Roberts proud of fight Dodgers have shown
The MLB postseason is a wild ride of unpredictability which stands in stark contrast to the way the Dodgers are able to approach each regular season game with everything plotted out to the finest detail.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was pleased with the team’s performance in Game 4 and is looking forward to the winner-takes-all matchup at Dodger Stadium on Friday.
“I’m proud. I think that when you go through a regular season, a lot of things are sort of calculated and there’s a lot of variables because you’re playing for the longer view,” Roberts said. “But when you get into the postseason, it’s a street fight. It’s about people, players, and your desire has got to be more than your opponent.
“And for me to see our guys go through what they’ve been through and respond the way they have really makes me excited about Game 5.”
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