Dodgers settle scores, reach NLCS
Scherzer closes out biggest game in rivalry spanning 131 years
SAN FRANCISCO—The Dodgers win the series! The Dodgers win the series! The Dodgers win the series! The Dodgers win the series!
There’s a new radio call in town. There’s a new ruler of an ancient rivalry. There’s a new answer to the endless bellowing Bay Area chants of “Beat L.A ... Beat L.A.”
No.
Take that, Bobby Thomson’s shot. Take that, Juan Marichal’s bat. Take that, Joe Morgan’s homer and Will Clark’s laugh and Barry Bonds’s pirouette.
On a harried, howling Thursday night at Oracle Park, with orange towels flapping in their faces and desperate jeers grabbing at their ankles, the Dodgers crushed memories and settled scores to win the greatest grudge match in franchise history.
In arguably the biggest game in the teams’ 131 years of competition, the Dodgers not only beat the San Francisco Giants, but finished them, ended them, and climbed over them on their way to deep October.
In the first post-season duel in the team’s 2,540 games of competitive history, in the fifth and deciding game of the National League Division Series, the Dodgers sliced and slashed their way to a ninth-inning run to capture a 2-1 victory and series win.
Welcome to the rivalry history, Cody Bellinger’s last-gasp slashing single to right field with one out in the ninth. It scored Justin Turner with the eventual winning run. Bellinger pointed to the Dodgers’ dugout all the way to first base. He knew, and they knew.
“I said it before ... keep having faith in myself ... keep staying in the moment,” said Bellinger. “We continue to grind it out.”
Welcome to the rivalry history, also, to starter Max Scherzer, who took the mound in the bottom of the ninth in relief and
survived the Giants, ending the game on a controversial strikeout of Wilmer Flores with Kris Bryant on first base and bringing the Dodgers dancing out of their dugout.
Replays show that Flores clearly checked his swing on an 0-and-2 pitch, but first-base umpire Gabe Morales saw otherwise, called him out, and ended the tumultuous series in turmoil.
“That’s Scherzer being Scherzer, man,” said Bellinger.
“He’s a gamer. He’s a competitor.”
The Giants fans who had been so loud and harrowing all night were cursing and gesturing as they filed out of the building. Meanwhile, several hundred Dodgers fans stayed, gathering behind the Dodgers’ dugout to
serenade their champagneswilling heroes when they emerged to take a bow.
“Moo-kie, Moo-kie,” they cried to Mookie Betts, who had four hits and scored a run.
“MVP, MVP,” they shouted at the shirtless Scherzer, who recorded the first save of his 14year career.
“Ju-lio, Ju-lio,” they cheered the starting pitcher Julio Urias, who didn’t actually start but pitched four strong innings anyway.
The Dodgers were elated, energized, and completely exhausted.
“We poured everything we had into this series and it took everything we had to beat these guys,” said manager Dave Roberts.
The Giants, despite finishing the season with 107 wins and the best record in baseball, are done, but not without earning the ultimate respect from their biggest rivals.
“That was an unbelievable team,” said Bellinger of the Giants. “This was an unbelievable win.”
The Dodgers, meanwhile, advance to the National League Championship Series for the fifth time in six years, and for the second consecutive time against the Atlanta Braves, in a best-of-seven duel starting Saturday in Atlanta.
“This is just step one toward our final goal,” said Betts.
Last fall the Braves led the Dodgers three games to one in the NLCS before the Dodgers won three straight games to propel them to a World Series that they eventually won.
This year, the Braves don’t seem equipped to offer a similar challenge, as they finished the regular season with 18 fewer wins while scoring 135 fewer runs. The Braves will be without their most exciting player, the injured Ronald Acuna Jr., and could be missing one of his power-hitting replacements, the COVID-sidelined Jorge Soler.
If the Dodgers can win the NLCS and advance to their fourth World Series in five years, waiting for them will be either the Houston Astros or the Boston Red Sox.
Considering the Astros cheated the Dodgers out of a World Series title in 2017, facing them would be sweet. But, seriously, can anything be as sweet as what just happened?
Before the game, the retired Vin Scully tweeted from the mountaintop.
“To my knowledge, tonight’s game between the @Dodgers and @SFGiants is the most important game in the history of their rivalry. With nearly identical records, and so much at stake, I believe this to be the case.”
Roberts was read the tweet and shook his head and smiled. “Now I feel pressure,” he said. “Gosh darn it, Vin!”
You got it right, Vin.