Mighty Dodgers are reeling, frustrated after two walk-off NLCS wins for the Braves

ATLANTA — Mookie Betts slowly walked out of the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse late Sunday night time, hung a fast proper, strolled down the lengthy hall at Truist Park towards the group bus and will nonetheless see Atlanta followers partying prefer it was 1999.

There was no anger, simply frustration.

No excuses, simply respect and admiration for the opposite aspect.

Betts, the Dodgers’ All-Star outfielder and unofficial captain, would like to declare the Dodgers will recuperate from their beautiful 2-Zero deficit within the Nationwide League Championship Collection to the Braves.

However after what he simply witnessed the previous 48 hours, he wished to take care of actuality, not fantasy.

The Braves are gifted. They might have gained 18 fewer video games (106 to 88) than the Dodgers in the course of the common season — in an inferior division — however Betts is right here to say they’re hardly a fluke.

“They’re good,” Betts mentioned. “The Braves are actually good. They’re getting well timed hits. They bought a very good offense.”

Atlanta delivered back-to-back walk-off hits for the primary time of their postseason historical past for the reason that 1991 World Collection.

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In Sport 1, Austin Riley struck with a ninth-inning RBI single, and on Sunday, Eddie Rosario hit a run-scoring single with two outs in a 5-Four Braves victory.It was solely the fourth time in postseason historical past {that a} group had walk-offs within the first two video games of a postseason.

The Dodgers, who had a lead or had been tied till the ultimate at-bat in all however one inning, may simply be up 2-0.

As a substitute, the sequence is headed to Dodger Stadium starting Tuesday afternoon (5:08 p.m. ET, TBS), the place the Dodgers should beat Atlanta in 4 of the following 5 video games to defend their World Collection title.

Then once more, in the event that they don’t all of a sudden begin hitting, if they’ll’t get a success within the clutch, if they’ll’t make a play in important conditions, if they’ll’t get a shut-down ninth inning, it is going to be over without having for a return flight to Atlanta.

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“We bought to hit, man,’’ Betts mentioned. “That’s all it truly is. Going to be laborious to win playoff video games scoring three or 4 runs.”

The favored narrative is that the Dodgers are emotionally and bodily exhausted after their grueling five-game NL Division Collection in opposition to the San Francisco Giants. Betts remembers the times when the Boston Purple Sox and New York Yankees would go head-to-head for a weekend sequence, after which take per week to recuperate.

Sorry, however it’s not the identical, Betts mentioned. Certain, the Dodgers are bodily drained, however to cry that they’re emotionally drained, he mentioned, could be discrediting Atlanta. In addition to, you’re not going to win many video games producing 4 hits, stranding 17 baserunners within the sequence, whereas hitting .111 with runners in scoring place.

“There ain’t no letdown,” Betts mentioned. “Acquired to present credit score to them boys, they’re enjoying very well. We’re not. … Not an excuse, however we haven’t had a break actually. A time off. We’re always enjoying catch-up. However it’s what it’s. That’s what we signed up for.”

The Dodgers, starting with their wild-card victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, have now performed eight postseason video games in three completely different cities over the previous 11 days, with solely two off days.

“I simply suppose it’s every part,” Dodgers third baseman Chris Taylor mentioned. “It’s bodily and mentally draining. These video games, they’re lengthy. The extent of focus is a little bit completely different than regular-season video games. That degree of depth is up there, particularly the final sport in San Francisco. …

“We’re drained, we’re able to go dwelling.’’

In the meantime, Atlanta has performed simply two video games within the final 5 days. They’ve slept in their very own beds 9 consecutive nights. And so they’ve now gained 4 consecutive postseason video games and are two wins away from their first World Collection look since 1999.

You recognize issues are going their manner when Freddie Freeman, the guts and soul of their franchise, can strike out seven consecutive occasions, go hitless in eight at-bats, and so they preserve successful.

“They’re deep,” Betts mentioned. “They bought Riley enjoying actually, very well. Rosario. It’s all up and down the lineup, they’re discovering methods to attain runs. The arms are discovering methods to place up zeroes. It’s a part of it.

“They only apply stress on us, time and again, and we lastly cracked.’’

The crack now appears to be like as extensive because the Grand Canyon with the Dodgers’ pitching in disarray. They out-smarted themselves Sunday: With a 4-2 lead within the eighth inning, they went to 20-game winner Julio Urias as a substitute of a reliever. Urias blew the save, and as a substitute of instantly turning to nearer Kenley Jansen, they opened the eighth with Brusdar Graterol. The analytic spreadsheets went up in smoke when Rosario hit a 105-mph shot that clipped off the glove of shortstop Corey Seager into middle discipline.

“9 occasions out of 10 occasions, he makes that play,” Betts mentioned. “It’s a troublesome play. It’s a troublesome play for anybody. It’s not Seager’s fault in any respect.”

Nonetheless, it’s a play that ought to have been made, and a lead that by no means ought to have been blown.

The Dodgers opened the sport with out third baseman Justin Turner within the beginning lineup for the primary time in 77 postseason video games due to a stiff neck, and if the outlook couldn’t worsen, Dodgers ace Max Scherzer gave the impression of a person who may need thrown his final pitch of the season.

“My arm’s useless,” Scherzer mentioned after throwing 79 pitches and lasting simply Four 1/Three innings. “It wasn’t like I am coping with tendons or ligaments, simply my arm was drained.’’

So now the Dodgers will go into Sport Three with a rested Walker Buehler on six days’ relaxation, however then should flip once more to Urias for Sport 4, who may have solely two full days of relaxation. Then, in the event that they get that far, a bullpen sport with Corey Knebel in Sport 5 … and who is aware of about Sport 6, if the sequence even returns to Atlanta.

“Effectively, I feel in case you take a look at each golf equipment, so far as utilization and leverage makes use of, they’re in the identical place we’re,” Roberts mentioned. “However the factor is that they’ve a two-game lead within the sequence.’’

And a rested veteran starter in Charlie Morton in Sport 3, maybe a bullpen sport in Sport 4, ace Max Fried in Sport 5, and, if wanted, Ian Anderson in Sport 6 and Morton in Sport 7.

The sequence might be over quickly, with the Dodgers’ solely benefit that they’ve crushed Atlanta in seven consecutive video games and 10 of the final 11 at Dodger Stadium.

And, in the event that they wish to play psychological warfare, Atlanta was on this identical state of affairs a yr in the past and blew a 3-1 result in the Dodgers. However that NLCS was performed in a bubble in the course of the pandemic, with neither group touring or having home-field benefit.

Totally different occasions, completely different groups and definitely completely different momentum shifts.

“I am not shocked by what they’re doing,” Scherzer mentioned. “I imply, this has at all times been a troublesome hitting lineup. This lineup, from high to backside, they’ll put the bat to the ball and so they can do nice issues.”

If it wasn’t painful sufficient for the Dodgers to observe Atlanta get the final giggle for the final two nights, it was former Dodger Joc Pederson who delivered a key two-run homer within the fourth inning. And within the American League, it’s former Dodger Kike’ Hernandez who has produced a file 13 hits within the final 4 postseason video games.

The Dodgers allow them to stroll with out providing them a free-agent contract.

“Clearly, I have been part of the Dodgers for a very long time and so they’re a very good group and group,” Pederson mentioned. “However proper now, they’re in the best way of our widespread objective.’’

The objective is easy, as heard again and again at Truist Park all weekend.

“Beat LA!”

Comply with Nightengale on Twitter: @Bnightengale

This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Braves have Dodgers reeling in NLCS after two walk-off wins, huge lead