01-05-2019, 01:40 PM
The postseason is all about bold moves and clutch performances. The Dodgers took bold to a whole new level in a Game 5 road win over the Nationals.After seeing a three-run lead David Peralta Jersey be cut to one run, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called upon closerKenley Jansen in the seventh inning, then went against his word and used three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw to get the final two outs.With the win, the Nationals will face the Cubs in thebest-of-seven NL Championship Series beginning Saturday in Chicago.MORE: The 50 best players in the playoffs Three takeaways from Los Angeles' win:1. Two pitches swung momentum to the Dodgers. One pitch before Nationals starter MaxScherzer served up a game-tying homer toDodgers sluggerJocPederson, Nationalsthird base coach Bob Henley and Jayson Werth made a bone-headed decision to try to score from first baseon a double to left by Ryan Zimmermanwith two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning and Washington leading 1-0.Werth was turning for home as the throw from left fielderAndrew Toles was caught by cutoff man CoreySeager, who easily threw home to get Werth out by more than 10 feet. The play ended the inning, andthe Dodgers used the momentum to score four runs in the top of the seventh asCarlos Ruiz andJustin Turner joinedPederson with RBI hits.2. Wild movespaidoff for the Dodgers. Eventhe unconventionalTerry Francona hasn't used his closer as early as Roberts did to protect a one-run lead in the seventh. After southpawGrant Dayton allowed a two-run homer to pinch hitterChris Heisey, Roberts called onJansen to attempt to finish the game.MORE: Dodgers-Nats Game Center Jansen pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh and workedaround a leadoff walk in the eighth, but after walking Werth with his career-high 51st pitch in the ninth, he was pulled forKershaw Yasmany Tomás Jersey , who threw110 pitches in his Game 4 start just two days prior. With runners on first and second, Kershaw gotthe red-hot Daniel Murphy to pop out to second basebefore striking outWilmer Difowith his signature curveball. It was Kershaw's first postseason relief appearance since 2009.The @Dodgers get the final out. Watch on #BallparkCam pic.twitter.com/EIx82NUsTM MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 14, 20163. Scherzer made one mistake. Looking to bounce back from a Game 1 lo s,Scherzer carried a no-hitter into the fifth, where he escaped a bases-loaded jam after allowing three consecutive hits.Unfortunately forthe Cy Young Award contender,his home run tendencies came back to bite him on the first pitch of the seventh.Scherzer, who allowed the most home runs in the NL during the regular season, watchedPederson crush a 95 mph fastball on his 99th pitch of the game over the left-field Patrick Corbin Jersey wall to tie the game 1-1.Scherzer scattered five hits over six-plusinnings withseven strikeouts.HighlightJustin Turner gave the Dodgers a 4-1 lead in the seventh with a two-run triple over the head of Nationals center fielder Trea Turner. What's nextNLCS Game 1: Dodgersat Cubs, 8 p.m. ET Saturday, Fox Sports 1: Jon Lester (19-5,2.44 ERA) will toe the rubber for the second time this postseason. In Game 1 of the NLDS against the Giants, He threweight shutout innings,lowering his career postseason ERA to 2.63 (17 games). The Cubs went 4-3 against the Dodgers during the regular season, outscoring LA 19-16.