Just like in 2015, the Los Angeles Dodgers managed to force a Game 5 n the National League Division Series after turning to Clayton Kershaw on short rest. And once again, a team led by Daniel Murphy stands in the way of a trip to the NL Championship Series.
Beyond that aspect, the Dodgers will need to solve Max Scherzer, who was a 20-game winner this season for the Washington Nationals. By the Nationals electing to hold Scherzer back, he takes the mound Thursday night on five days’ rest.
The 32-year-old called Game 5 the “biggest start” of his career. Scherzer owns a 7.20 ERA in elimination games, and his teams are 0-3.
For as much of a challenge the right-hander can present, the Dodgers don’t need to look far back to find success.
“I mean, we beat him once already. We know we can do it,” Adrian Gonzalez said after the Dodgers staved off elimination.
“We put some pretty good at-bats against him in Game 1 and we’re confident that we can do that again.”
Scherzer allowed four runs and a pair of homers over six innings, and suffered the loss in the series opener. Justin Turner deposited a hanging curveball over the left-field fence for a two-run home run in the third inning.
“We’re going to go and beat Scherzer again,” he said from the Dodgers clubhouse on Tuesday. When asked if he was guaranteeing a Dodgers victory Turner responded, “Well, I’m not going to stand here and predict we’re going to lose.”
After the Dodgers clinched a fourth straight NL West title, Gonzalez and Turner both noted a significant difference in this year’s division-winning team. Namely, their overall depth and resilience.
That will be needed at Nationals Park, where the Dodgers enter the winner-take-all contest as the underdog. “When stuff’s gone bad we just continue to dig deeper, continue to play and take good at-bats,” Turner said.
“Find ways to get it done. If we have outs left we know we have a good chance to win. This team has a lot of fight in it. No one ever told us it was going to be easy. It’s all about finding ways to win.”
