Dodgers defeat Brewers, 5-1, to advance to the World Series

TOP OF NINTH: Puig singled to third. Taylor doubled to left, Puig stopping at third. With the infield in, Barnes grounded to short. Matt Kemp hit for Jansen and was walked intentionally. Hernandez struck out looking. Muncy struck out swinging. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1

MILWAUKEE — The 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers have spent nearly seven months tormenting themselves and their fans, operating as if a pennant were their birthright. They tantalized with their talent and tortured with their results. They lost games when they shouldn’t have, but won every game that needed to be won. They required 163 games to win the division. If the commissioner’s office at Major League Baseball would have allowed it, the Dodgers would have taken the National League Championship Series to Game 8.

The route back to the World Series may have been circuitous, a journey of fits and starts and lineup alterations, but the destination remains as sweet. Because for the second season in a row, the Dodgers will reign as champions of the National League, downing the Milwaukee Brewers with a 5-1 victory in Game 7 of the NLCS. The Dodgers operated in this series as they have all season: They played themselves into a corner, and then muscled their way out.

The emotion and elation of this trek manifested in the persona of one man, Yasiel Puig, as he rounded the bases in Saturday’s sixth inning. He had just launched a three-run homer to break the tension of the early going. Upon contact, Puig flipped his bat. As he rounded first base, he turned to his dugout and chopped at his crotch. At third, he thumped his chest. After touching the plate, certifying his blast in Dodgers history, he wagged his tongue and accepted the adulation of his teammates.

The mob included all the stars from Saturday: Cody Bellinger, who provided a lead with a second-inning home run. Walker Buehler, who struck out seven during 4 2/3 innings and protected the advantage bequeathed to him. Chris Taylor, who stole a game-tying, extra-base hit from Brewers All-Star Chris Taylor in the fifth. The rest of the contributors resided in the relief corps, who silenced Milwaukee’s offense all series. Clayton Kershaw loped in from the bullpen to finish the ninth.

In the midst of the sixth-inning throng, manager Dave Roberts left the dugout’s top step to embrace Puig. The manager has emerged as the avatar for this club, the source of frustration for fans who have not embraced the Dodgers’ organizational philosophy emphasizing depth, versatility and sacrifice. The culture survived the frights of the regular season. The culture has carried the club through October.

This group has become the first Dodgers team since the 1977-1978 editions to win back-to-back pennants. The team aims to secure its first championship since 1988 when the World Series begins against Boston on Tuesday at Fenway Park. They enter the series in unfamiliar, but perhaps welcome territory. Against the 108-win Red Sox, who just steamrolled the defending champion Astros in the American League Championship Series, the Dodgers will be considered the underdogs.

It is a mantle they avoided all season. One day in September, Kenley Jansen fell into conversation with fellow reliever Ryan Madson, a veteran of championship teams in Philadelphia and Kansas City. Jansen mentioned how easy it was to find motivation for crucial series against contenders like Arizona and Colorado later in the season, when the division was at stake. Earlier in the season, the team had produced the same energy.

“Welcome to the hangover,” Madson told Jansen.

The cloud of the Game 7 loss to Houston to end 2017 still hovered over this club as 2018 began. When general manager Farhan Zaidi visited the Dodger Stadium weight room in the winter, his route carried him past a pallet of champagne, meant to be sprayed after Game 7 against Houston, left to ferment when the team lost. Roberts sought advice from owner Peter Guber, who also owns a portion of the Golden State Warriors, for how coach Steve Kerr revived his team after losing the NBA Finals in 2016.

The players twisted between reliving the frenzy of the World Series and placing it in their rear-view mirror. The regular season started with a slump. Turner missed 40 games with a broken wrist. Corey Seager underwent season-ending elbow surgery. Jansen struggled to recapture his fastball velocity. The team was 16-26 on May 16. Even after taking flight in the summer, the team still trailed in the division by 4 1/2 games on Aug. 22. After tying Colorado on the final weekend of the season, Buehler trounced the Rockies in the Oct. 1 tiebreaker at Dodger Stadium.

The playoffs featured four games against Atlanta, and then seven with Milwaukee. The Brewers rode their bullpen into the postseason, and they subjected their relievers to heavy usage against the Dodgers. The moments to strike were early, when their starters were still in the game.

Yet the Brewers landed the first blow on Saturday. It came off the bat of Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich. Buehler pumped a 98-mph fastball down the middle. Yelich roped the baseball into the right-center gap. Puig leapt at the wall, with his glove scraping the surface as the ball disappeared from sight on the solo homer.

Bellinger answered in the second. He was preceded by Manny Machado, who had been serenaded with jeers the night before. The crowd repeated the treatment as Machado arrived for his first at-bat of Game 7. Machado quieted the noise by dropping a bunt single on a 3-2 slider from Chacin. The hit prompted a response from Miller Park.

“You still suck!” the fans chanted. “You still suck!”

Bellinger wiped out that sentiment. He destroyed a 90-mph fastball from Chacin. The ball landed in the second deck of right field and gave the Dodgers a lead. Puig followed up with a double, but the Dodgers left him stranded on second base, with Josh Hader loosening up in the bullpen as Chacin waded through the bottom of the order.

Hader replaced Chacin for the third. He struck out two in a spotless inning. Buehler responded with his first 1-2-3 inning, then waded through a self-inflicted jam in the fourth. The trouble started when Brewers infielder Travis Shaw doubled off the right-field wall. Buehler came back to strike out first baseman Jesus Aguilar with a curveball and end the inning by whiffing catcher Erik Kratz with 98-mph heat.

Buehler could not make it through the fifth. He permitted a two-out double to outfielder Lorenzo Cain. Roberts made his move. He went with Julio Urias, who had appeared in only thee regular-season games, against Yelich, the likely National League MVP. Yelich smashed a 94-mph fastball into the left-center gap.

Sprinting toward the warning track was Chris Taylor. He had started the game at second base, then shifted into left field when Enrique Hernandez batted for Joc Pederson. Taylor weaved a path beneath the baseball’s flight and flung his glove in the air. He ripped the ball out of the sky and skidded across the dirt, the third out in his possession.

The offense awoke after Taylor’s save. The sixth inning began with singles from Max Muncy and Turner. Brewers reliever Jeremy Jeffress collected a pair of outs before Puig arrived. Jeffress tempted Puig with a curveball. Puig laced it beyond Cain’s reach in center field.

As Puig rounded the bases, a season’s worth of joy poured out of the Dodgers. After 163 regular season games, four with Atlanta and seven with Milwaukee, the team was headed back to where they felt they belonged from the beginning.

The World Series.

BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: Cain grounded to the pitcher. Yelich struck out swinging. Braun strikes out swinging. Clayton Kershaw is warming up in the bullpen. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.

TOP OF EIGHTH: Brandon Woodruff pitching. Turner strikes out swinging. Machado strikes out swinging. Bellinger struck out swinging. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1

BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: Moustakas struck out swinging. Kratz grounded to short. Arcia singled to right. And, here’s a surprise, Kenley Jansen is coming into the game. He’ll probably finish this inning and pitch the eighth and give way to Clayton Kershaw. Curtis Granderson, batting for Knebel, struck out swinging. That’s the Curtis Granderson that Dodgers fans remember and love. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.

TOP OF SEVENTH: Madson struck out looking. Hernandez singled to second. Corey Knebel is coming in to pitch for the Brewers. Hernandez was caught stealing. Muncy struck out swinging. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.

TOP OF SIXTH: Xavier Cedeno pitching. Muncy singled to left. And that brings Jeremy Jeffress in the game to pitch to Turner, who singled to left, Muncy stopping at second. Machado flied to right. Bellinger grounded to second, forcing Turner, Muncy to third. Bellinger hustled down the line to just avoid the double play. Puig HOMERS TO CENTER! Dodgers lead, 5-1. Taylor walks. Barnes struck out looking. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.

BOTTOM OF SIXTH: Ryan Madson pitching. Braun lines to center. Shaw flied to left. Aguilar struck out swinging. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.

BOTTOM OF FIFTH: Arcia grounded to third. Domingo Santana, batting for Hader, struck out looking. Cain doubled to left. With left-hander Yelich at the plate, the Dodgers remove Buehler and counter with left-hander Julio Urias. Yelich lined to left, with Chris Taylor making one of the most incredible catches you will ever see. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1.

TOP OF FIFTH: Taylor walked. Barnes struck out swinging. Buehler sacrificed Taylor to second. Hernandez struck out swinging. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1.

BOTTOM OF FOURTH: Shaw doubled to right-center as the ball was deflected by Puig. Aguilar struck out swinging. Moustakas flied to left. Kratz struck out swinging. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1.

BOTTOM OF THIRD: Hernandez in at second. Taylor to left. Cain singled to right. Yelich grounds into a 6-3 double play. Braun struck out swinging. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1.

TOP OF FOURTH: Machado singled to center. Bellinger grounded to second, forcing Machado. Puig grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1

BOTTOM OF SECOND: Jesus Aguilar struck out swinging. Mike Moustakas singles to right. Erik Kratz lined to left. Orlando Arcia singled to left, Moustakas stopping at second. Jonathan Schoop, batting for Chacin, grounded to third. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1.

TOP OF THIRD: Josh Hader now pitching. Kiké Hernandez, batting for Pederson, struck out swinging. Muncy struck out swinging. Turner lined to left. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1.

TOP OF SECOND: Manny Machado singled on a bunt to third. Cody Bellinger HOMERED TO RIGHT, scoring Machado. 2-1 Dodgers. Yasiel Puig doubled to right. Puig gave a crotch chop after stopping at second. The crowd hated it. Chris Taylor grounded to short. Austin Barnes flied to center. Walker Buehler popped to second. DODGERS 2, BREWERS 1

BOTTOM OF FIRST: Lorenzo Cain struck out looking. Christian Yelich homered to center. Ryan Braun grounded to third. Travis Shaw struck out swinging. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0

NLCS Game 7. Dodgers vs. Brewers. Walker Buehler vs. Jhoulys Chacin. Win or go home. Pull up a chai and spend some time with us.

TOP OF FIRST: Joc Pederson grounded to second. Max Muncy walked. Justin Turner grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.

I have a feeling that this isn’t the real Hulk Hogan.

BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: Cain singled to left-center. That’s it for Maeda. Rich Hill is now in the game. Yelich walked. Braun struck out swinging. Perez grounded to short, forcing Yelich at second. Aguilar singled to right, scoring Cain. Moustakas grounded to second. BREWERS 7, DODGERS 2.

In the middle of the 8th inning on Friday, as the fans at Miller Park brayed invective at Manny Machado and flapped yellow towels to celebrate an impending 7-2 Brewers victory in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, an act occurred which could cost the Dodgers the pennant: A reliever sat down.

A night off for a relief pitcher rarely has long-ranging consequences. But Josh Hader, Milwaukee’s left-handed All-Star, is far from an ordinary reliever. He is a multi-inning demon, a pitcher who had logged three innings in Game 1, made a pair of scoreless appearances afterward and nearly struck out half the Dodgers he faced in the process.

When the Dodgers failed to stress reliever Corbin Burnes in the eighth, Hader ceased warming up. Granted three days of rest, his number will be called on Saturday, in Game 7 at Miller Park. Dumped into a first-inning hole by Hyun-Jin Ryu on Friday, the Dodgers could not stress the Milwaukee pitching staff enough to force Hader into the game. They could pay the price for their feeble hitting.

Read More

BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: Grandal catching. Kenta Maeda pitching. Aguilar doubled to deep right. It was an 11-pitch at-bat and Aguilar just hung in there. Dodgers challenged the ruling at second and the umpires ruled him safe. He looked out, though. Moustakas was walked intentionally. Curtis Granderson, batting for Kratz, struck out swinging. That’s the Curtis Granderson we remember and love. Arcia grounded to the pitcher, with the runners moving up to second and third. Domingo Santana, batting for Jeffress, was at the plate when Maeda threw a wild pitch that allowed Aguilar to score. Santana then struck out swinging.

TOP OF EIGHTH: Manny Pina catching. Corbin Burnes pitching. Turner flied to right. Machado grounded to short. Bellinger flied to center. BREWERS 6, DODGERS 2

TOP OF SEVENTH: Jeremy Jeffress pitching. Dozier fouled to the catcher. Yasmani Grandal, batting for Ferguson, flied to left. Muncy struck out swinging.

BOTTOM OF SIXTH: Pederson in at left field. Dylan Floro now pitching. Cain struck out looking. Yelich grounded to third. Braun singled off of Machado’s glove. The scorer ruled it a hit. That’s it for Floro. Caleb Ferguson is now pitching. Shaw struck out swinging.

BOTTOM OF FIFTH: Muncy to first base. Dozier to second. Freese, who has driven in both Dodger runs, out of the game. Alex Wood now pitching. Shaw walked. Aguilar struck out swinging. Moustakas struck out swinging. Kratz was hit by a pitch. Arcia was walked intentionally to load the bases for the pitcher, Knebel. Knebel struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 2.

TOP OF SIXTH: Bellinger grounded to first. Joc Pederson, batting for Taylor, was hit by a pitch. He was hit in the right wrist, and you could already see the bruise developing on TV. Puig flied to center. Barnes struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 2.

BOTTOM OF FOURTH: Julio Urias is now pitching. Final line for Ryu: 3 IP, 7 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts. Cain grounded to the pitcher. Yelich struck out swinging. Braun struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1.

TOP OF FIFTH: Barnes grounded to short. Brian Dozier, batting for Urias, walked. Freese doubled to center, Dozier scoring. Muncy walked, and that’s it for Miley. Corey Knebel is coming in to the game. Turner flied to center. Machado struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 2.

TOP OF FOURTH: Bellinger struck out. Taylor flied to left. Puig lined to center. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1.

BOTTOM OF THIRD: Kratz grounded to third. Arcia flied to left. Miley struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1

TOP OF THIRD: Muncy lined to left. Turner struck out swinging. Machado popped to short. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1.

BOTTOM OF SECOND: Cain flied to right. Yelich doubled to right center. Braun doubled to deep right-center, scoring Yelich. I can’t believe they are leaving Ryu in the game. Shaw grounded to short, Braun to third. Aguilar was walked intentionally. Moustakas struck out swinging. BREWERS 5, DODGERS 1

TOP OF SECOND: Chris Taylor singled to center. Yasiel Puig flied to center. Barnes struck out swinging. Hyun-Jin Ryu singled to right, Taylor taking third. Freese fouled to first. BREWERS 4, DODGERS 1.

BOTTOM OF FIRST: Lorenzo Cain singled to second. Christian Yelich grounded to third, Cain to second. Ryan Braun walked. Travis Shaw struck out swinging. Jesus Aguilar doubled to right, Cain and Braun scoring. Moustakas doubled to right, Aguilar scoring. Erik Kratz singled to right, Moustakas scoring. The wheels are coming off quickly. Arcia singled to left, Kratz to second. Wade Miley flied to center. BREWERS 4, DODGERS 1.

NLCS Game 6. Dodgers vs. Brewers. Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. Wade Miley. Pull up a chair and spend some time with us.

TOP OF FIRST: David Freese homered to right-center. Max Muncy grounded to third. Justin Turner singled to center. Manny Machado struck out swinging. Cody Bellinger hit a grounder up the middle. Third baseman Mike Moustakas, swung over to the right side of the infield as part of the shift, made a diving grab and threw him out. Great play by Moustakas. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 0.

Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy hits an RBI single off Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Brandon Woodruff in the sixth inning of the NLCS.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Max Muncy stood at the plate one botched swing away from what would have been his third strikeout of the game. But this time, he knew what to do.

Read More

Brewers pitcher Wade Miley leaves the game after five pitches in the first inning.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Milwaukee Brewers gave Wade Miley a mission a couple days ago and told him to keep it secret. He would start Wednesday’s game, but only in a cameo role. He could tell only a very few people within his circle of trust. He could not even tell all of his teammates.

Read More

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is congratulated by Yasiel Puig after scoring a run.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

In retrospect, it’s curious the Dodgers were ever in the position they found themselves last month. The reasons they were in danger of missing the postseason remain a mystery, something worth looking into over this winter to ensure they don’t underperform to that degree again.

But today, after riding their deep talent advantage to a 3-2 lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers are a win away from where many thought they would be — back in the World Series.

Read More

Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw shows an emotional outburst while pitching against the Brewers in the sixth inning.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

It was old school. It was throwback. It was lovely.

Read More

Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw reacts after striking out Milwaukee’s Jesus Aguilar with the bases loaded in Game 5 of the NLCS.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The opposing starter had departed after facing only one batter, but there Clayton Kershaw stood, on the mound in the center of Dodger Stadium, a living, breathing anachronism for seven innings in an 5-2 victory in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. The starting pitcher may be going the way of the dodo, but Kershaw is still holding firm, even as his fastball dims and his mileage increases. He is not ready for extinction.

Read More

TOP OF NINTH: Caleb Ferguson pitching. Yelich grounded to first. Ryan Madson comes in to pitch to Braun, who grounded to short. Aguilar doubled to center. Curtis Granderson, batting for the pitcher, doubled to right, scoring Aguilar. That brings Kenley Jansen into the game. Moustakas struck out swinging. Dodgers win, 5-2.

BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: Perez at shortstop, Shaw at second. Zach Davies pitching. Taylor popped to second. Puig doubled to center. While Barnes struck out swinging, Puig stole third. Matt Kemp, batting for Baez, grounded to short. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.

TOP OF EIGHTH: Dozier to second base. Taylor to left field. Pedro Baez pitching. Shaw lined to center. Domingo Santana, batting for Cedeno, struck out swinging. Cain lined to center. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.

BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: Joakim Soria pitching. Barnes struck out swinging. Kershaw walked. Bellinger doubled to center, Kershaw to third. Turner singled to center, Kershaw scoring, Bellinger stopping at third with Turner taking second when Cain threw home. That’s it for Soria. Xavier Cedeno pitching. Brian Dozier, batting for Pederson, hit a slow roller to third, scoring Bellinger. Dozier out at first, Turner to third. Machado was walked intentionally. Muncy struck out swinging. DODGERS 5, BREWERS 1.

Kershaw’s final line: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO, 1 HR. 98 pitches, 69 for strikes. Pedro Baez comes into the game to start the eighth with the Dodgers leading, 5-1.

TOP OF SEVENTH: Puig to right field. Bellinger to center. Taylor to second. Kershaw still pitching. Perez struck out swinging. Moustakas grounded to first. Kratz grounded to short. Great game by Kershaw. DODGERS 3, BREWERS 1

BOTTOM OF SIXTH: Turner singled to right-center. Pederson struck out swinging. Machado was hit by a pitch. That’s not retaliation. You are not going to hit him on purpose in this situation. Muncy singled to left-center, Turner scoring, Machado stopping at second. That’s it for Woodruff, who pitched well. Corbin Burnes now pitching. Taylor struck out looking. Yasiel Puig, hitting for Hernandez, singled to center, Machado scoring, Muncy thrown out attempting to go to third. DODGERS 3, BREWERS 1.

TOP OF SIXTH: Yelich flied to center. Braun grounded to the pitcher. Aguilar struck out swinging. Through six innings, Kershaw has given up three hits, two walks, one run and struck out eight on 88 pitches. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.

BOTTOM OF FIFTH: Taylor reached first on a single to short and took second on Arcia’s throwing error. With Hernandez at the plate, Taylor stole third. Hernandez struck out swinging. Barnes singled to center, Taylor scoring. Kershaw sacrificed Barnes to second. Bellinger struck out swinging. DODGERS 1, BREWERS 1.

TOP OF FIFTH: Arcia struck out swinging. Woodruff struck out swinging. Cain flied to center. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0

TOP OF FOURTH: OK, a lot of defensive changes. Joc Pederson in the game to left field. Taylor moves to center field. Muncy to first base. Bellinger to right field. Hernandez to second base. Freese is out of the game. Perez grounded to third. Moustakas flied to center. Kratz grounded to short and is called safe on a bang-bang play at first. The Dodgers ask for a review and the call is overturned. Kratz is out. Inning over. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0.

BOTTOM OF FOURTH: Pederson singled to right. Machado grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Muncy struck out swinging.

BOTTOM OF THIRD: Austin Barnes struck out swinging. Clayton Kershaw walked. Walking the pitcher almost never turns out well. Bellinger struck out swinging. Turner grounded to short, forcing Kershaw at second. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0.

TOP OF THIRD: Erik Kratz just missed a home run down the left-field line, then struck out swinging. Orlando Arcia singled to left. Brandon Woodruff walked. Walking the pitcher almost never works out well. Cain doubled to center, Arcia scoring, Woodruff stopping at third. Yelich struck out swinging. Braun walked. Aguilar struck out swinging. BREWERS 1, DODGERS 0.

BOTTOM OF SECOND: Max Muncy struck out swinging. Chris Taylor grounded to short. Kiké Hernandez lined to second. This is feeling like a repeat of last night’s game. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0.

TOP OF SECOND: Jesus Aguilar grounded to short. Hernan Perez grounded to the pitcher. Mike Moustakas struck out swinging. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0

BOTTOM OF FIRST: Cody Bellinger walked. And that’s it for Wade Miley. Brandon Woodruff is in to pitch. No injury to Miley, just strategy. Six of the next eight hitters are righties, so the Brewers bring in a right-hander. Justin Turner was hit by a pitch. David Freese struck out swinging. Manny Machado grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0

NLCS Game 5. Dodgers vs. Brewers. Clayton Kershaw vs. Wade Miley. Pull up a chair and spend some time with us.

TOP OF FIRST: Lorenzo Cain singled to center. It looked like Bellinger might have caught it, but umpires say no. Dodgers ask for a review. Call stands. Christian Yelich lined to center. Ryan Braun at the plate. Cain was caught stealing. He had the base stolen, but came off the bag. Brewers manager Craig Counsell, who spends more time on the field than his players, disagrees. Braun struck out swinging. DODGERS 0, BREWERS 0

Manny Machado has to be held back by first base coach George Lombard after an argument with Milwaukee’s Jesus Aguilar.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Manny Machado has been fined by Major League Baseball for the incident that sparked a bench-clearing event Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

The league does not announce player discipline beyond suspensions, but the fine was confirmed to The Times by a person familiar with the matter but not authorized to discuss it. The amount of the fine is not known.

Read More

Clayton Kershaw

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Clayton Kershaw cannot say he has not thought about the opt-out clause in his contract. He might not linger on the topic internally, but he has heard questions about it more often as the prospect of free agency draws near. Kershaw can opt out of the final two years and $65 million remaining in his deal with the Dodgers soon after the World Series ends. His answer to those repeated questions has not changed.

Read More

Clayton Kershaw lets out a howl after the Milwaukee Brewers scored two runs in the third inning of Game 1 of the NLCS.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Clayton Kershaw will pitch the pivotal fifth game of the National League Championship Series today, a contest that will either move the Dodgers to the brink of a second consecutive World Series appearance or a step closer to being eliminated by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Read More

Manny Machado and Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar confront each other after a 10th inning groundout.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

There is no love lost between Manny Machado and the Milwaukee Brewers. On the night Machado nearly tripped up their first baseman, and the night after Machado twice grabbed the Brewers shortstop in trying to break up a double play, the Brewers players wasted no words in expressing their anger at the Dodgers shortstop.

Read More

Manny Machado rounds third base to score the winning run off in the 13th inning at Dodger Stadium.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

A day after Enrique Hernandez criticized the Dodger Stadium crowd for its lack of energy, hours after he apologized for that critique, Chavez Ravine was filled Tuesday with the noisy joy of amends.

Read More

The Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger hits the game-winning RBI against the Brewers in the 13th inning.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

After five hours and 15 minutes of agonizing baseball, the participants and spectators at Dodger Stadium received a respite. Cody Bellinger ripped a single. Manny Machado hustled from second base. The ballpark shook as Machado slid across home plate for the winning run in the 13th inning of a 2-1 victory over Milwaukee in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.

Read More

BOTTOM OF 13TH: Muncy lined to left. Machado singled to left. Dozier fouled to third. Machado took second on a wild pitch. Bellinger singled to right, Machado scoring. Dodgers win, 2-1.