NLCS: Dodgers on brink of elimination after Game 4 loss to Braves

LOS ANGELES — The bills support coming due.

Before utilizing Max Scherzer successful alleviation successful Game 5 of their National League Division Series win, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged determination is ever a imaginable “cost” to utilizing a starting pitcher retired of the bullpen betwixt his starts.

Pitching for the 4th clip successful 12 days erstwhile helium started Game 2 of the NL Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves, Scherzer said his limb was “dead” and helium lasted lone 4-1/3 innings successful a loss.

Julio Urias pitched retired of the bullpen successful that crippled and was ineffective, allowing 2 runs successful his inning.

Pitching for the 4th clip successful 12 days successful Game 4 connected Wednesday night, Urias gave up 3 location runs successful the archetypal 11 batters helium faced (and for conscionable the 2nd clip successful his career) and the Dodgers ne'er recovered, losing to the Braves, 9-2.

Baseball contented says momentum is lone arsenic bully arsenic your adjacent day’s starting pitcher. Urias wasn’t precise bully – but the Dodgers’ discourtesy did thing to physique connected the momentum of Cody Bellinger’s restorative three-run location tally successful the eighth inning of Game 3, getting nary hits until the 5th inning and lone 4 total.

The Braves’ triumph (their archetypal astatine Dodger Stadium since June 2018) gives them a 3-1 pb successful the best-of-seven NLCS – for the 2nd twelvemonth successful a enactment against the Dodgers. Facing elimination successful Game 5 for the 4th clip successful 11 games this postseason, the Dodgers request to triumph Thursday – successful a “bullpen game” – conscionable to widen the bid backmost to Atlanta.

They volition person to bash it without heroes of postseasons past Max Muncy (injured elbow) oregon Justin Turner now. Turner near Game 4 successful the seventh inning with a hamstring injury.

Urias didn’t springiness up a location tally successful 35 innings implicit his last six starts successful the regular play and conscionable 1 successful his archetypal 11 innings of the postseason. But Eddie Rosario and Adam Duvall deed back-to-back homers to commencement the 2nd inning and Freddie Freeman added a 3rd solo homer to commencement the 3rd inning.

Rosario continued to beryllium the hottest hitter successful the postseason not named Kiké, lining a shot into the close tract country aboriginal successful the 3rd inning and stretching it to a triple erstwhile Mookie Betts mishandled it.

After an intentional walk, Joc Pederson lobbed a flare into shallow halfway field. Gavin Lux ran successful but fto it autumn successful beforehand of him for an RBI azygous alternatively than hazard a diving attempt. Urias seemed to glare retired into halfway tract aft the Braves’ 4th tally scored.

Urias gave up different tally successful the fifth, throwing 92 pitches successful 5 precise hard innings.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers didn’t person a azygous deed to telephone their ain and Lux was robbed of a imaginable location tally by halfway fielder Duvall successful the 2nd inning.

The operation of Jesse Chavez and Drew Smyly retired the archetypal 10 Dodgers successful bid and didn’t springiness up a deed until Justin Turner’s one-out azygous successful the fifth. Their 2nd hit, a azygous by Bellinger, followed instantly and Bellinger stole 2nd basal without a propulsion – the Dodgers’ franchise-record 14th stolen basal this postseason.

AJ Pollock came disconnected the seat and delivered a two-out, two-run single. But the Dodgers had conscionable 1 deed implicit the last 4 innings – a pinch-hit azygous by Albert Pujols successful the seventh inning. Justin Turner bounced into a treble play aft that deed and pulled up portion moving to archetypal base, evidently injured.

The Braves enactment the crippled distant with 4 runs successful the ninth disconnected Tony Gonsolin, including Rosario’s 4th deed and 2nd location tally of the game.

More to travel connected this story.