The Dodgers face elimination
Game Five of the NLCS takes place tonight, with the Atlanta Braves holding a 3-1 series lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
I think it is fair to call the Dodgers facing elimination in the fifth game of a seven game series against the Braves surprising, given they won 106 games this year — tied for the 18th most wins in a season in MLB history. Of course, the Dodgers had to win the Wild Card Game to even get into the “real” playoffs, since they lost the N.L. West to the San Francisco Giants — whose 107 wins tied them for 13th all time — and the Giants were knocked out by (checks notes) these same Dodgers that are down 3-1 in the NLCS to the 88 win Atlanta Braves.
The Dodgers, of course, are missing Max Muncy in this series, after his arm injury in the Wild Card Game, and now it appears Justin Turner will be out for the rest of the postseason after a hamstring injury last night. And its a short series, and anything can happen in a short series, so the Braves winning 3 for 4 isn’t all THAT surprising. But still.
Max Fried is starting for the Braves. As of the time I’m doing this post (which is in the morning on Thursday), no starter for the Dodgers has been announced, but it will likely have to be a bullpen game, given their pitching situation.
7:08 p.m. Central start time. Talk about it here.
UPDATE — Joe Kelly is starting for the Dodgers. Oh boy.