Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts championed an “all hands on deck” mantra heading into Game 5 of the National League Division Series. And Roberts certainly lived up to that billing to guide his club past the Washington Nationals and into the NL Championship Series.
Trea Turner’s remarkable speed immediately made a difference as he laid out for a diving catch in left-center field to rob Chase Utley of a leadoff hit. Max Scherzer then retired Corey Seager and Justin Turner to complete a 1-2-3 first inning.
Hill’s opening frame began on less of a positive note. He managed to knock down a Trea Turner comebacker, but only because it his left wrist. Hill remained in the game after he was checked on by Dodgers manager Roberts and a trainer.
The bottom of the first came to an end on back-to-back strikeouts of Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth. Scherzer struck out Josh Reddick in the second en route to again setting the Dodgers down in order.
Daniel Murphy led off the bottom of the second with a single and stole second base with one out. He went on a pitch that was in the dirt, but Yasmani Grandal recovered well and likely would have caught Murphy if not for a poor throw.
After Ryan Zimmerman drew a walk, Danny Espinosa’s sinking line drive dropped in right field for an RBI single. Again, the Dodgers were hurt by a poor throw, with Reddick the culprit on the run-scoring play.
Hill managed to limit the damage and stranded runners on the corners with a pair of strikeouts. Scherzer nibbled at the outside corner, didn’t get the benefit of borderline pitches, and walked Grandal on four pitches to start the third.
However, the inning quickly came to an end as Andrew Toles hit into a double play and Hill grounded out. Scherzer at that point had faced the minimum and had a no-hitter. Turner flared a broken-bat leadoff single into left field in the bottom of the third and soon after stole second base.
Turner tagged on a fly ball to center field, which prompted the Dodgers to intentionally walk Murphy. That also marked the end for Hill, who threw 55 pitches in 2.2 innings. Joe Blanton entered and stranded both runners by getting Anthony Rendon to line out on a full count after Murphy stole his second base of the game.
Whereas Scherzer didn’t get the calls to go his way in the third, there was a change of fortune in the fourth. Utley struck out swinging, and Corey Seager was called out on strikes on a pitch that appeared to be out of the zone.
Justin Turner had similar pitches go against him for strikes, but he battled Scherzer and wound up drawing a walk on the 13th pitch of his plate appearance. It didn’t amount to anything, as Scherzer got Adrian Gonzalez swinging to strikeout the side.
Blanton set the Nationals down in order in the bottom of the fourth. It was his final inning of work, and he finished the NLDS with just one hit allowed and five strikeouts over five scoreless frames.
Reddick broke up Scherzer’s no-hitter with a leadoff single in the fifth. Joc Pederson followed with a base hit of his own, and with one Toles flipped a flare just out of Murphy’s leaping attempt. Pinch-hitter Andre Ethier also struck out, and Utley hit up the middle but into the shift to leave the bases full.
Julio Urias entered in the bottom of the fifth, becoming the youngest pitcher to appear in a postseason game in franchise history. He walked Harper with two outs but picked him off to end the inning. Scherzer worked around a Gonzalez two-out single to complete a sixth shutout inning.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth and Werth standing on first base after a leadoff walk, Zimmerman doubled down the left-field line. But the inning came to an end as Werth was easily thrown out at home plate.
Pederson immediately made the Nationals pay for their baserunning gaffe, tying the game with an opposite-field leadoff home run. Marc Rzepczynski replaced Scherzer and promptly gave up a broken-bat single to pinch-hitter Howie Kendrick.
Yasiel Puig was on deck, but Charlie Culberson was sent up to bat for Urias. He failed to get a sacrifice bunt down, fouling off an attempt with two strikes to strikeout. Pinch-hitter Carlos Ruiz offset some of the frustration by pulling a pinch-hit, go-ahead single into left field.
Turner then extended the Dodgers’ lead to 4-1 with a two-run triple off the center-field wall. The Nationals used a postseason-record six pitchers during the seventh inning. Grant Dayton allowed the Nationals to get back into the game, walking Espinosa then giving up a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Chris Heisey.
Clint Robinson singled, which forced Roberts’ hand into calling on Kenley Jansen. It marked the first time since May 2013 that Jansen entered a game in the seventh inning. Harper greeted Jansen with a single to left field to put runners on the corners.
Harper stole second base when Jansen struck out Werth on a full count, which made the Dodgers’ decision to intentionally walk Murphy all the more acceptable. Jansen escaped the jam by striking out Rendon on his 21st pitch of the inning.
Jansen then worked around a leadoff walk in the eighth to keep the Dodgers’ 4-3 lead intact. With Clayton Kershaw warming up, Jansen began the ninth inning at 37 pitches. He walked Harper and Werth with one out and gave way to Kershaw.
The relief appearance was his first since Game 5 of the 2009 NLCS. Kershaw got longtime nemesis Murphy to pop-out, and ended the game with a strikeout to eliminate the Nationals. The Dodgers cliched a spot in the NL Championship Series for the first time since 2013.
