The Dodgers and Giants Played an Instant Classic in Game 5 of the NLDS, Which Ended in Controversy
Photo Via: @DannyVietti on TwitterFor the first time in major league history, the Dodgers and Giants became dance partners in the Postseason. Vin Scully called it the most important game in the rivalry’s history. The result? A stellar series with an instant classic finish.
Before the first pitch was even thrown, the chess match was underway. The Dodgers opted to use an opener (Corey Knebel) and make Julio Urías the bulk guy. The Giants did not sway from normalcy and elected to give the baseball to righty starter Logan Webb. Apparently, there is more than one way to attack a winner-take-all Postseason game.
Knebel put up a zero in the first inning, then the Dodgers brought in flamethrower Brusdar Graterol for the second frame and he followed suit. In the other half of the innings, Webb matched them with scoreless trips of his own. Oh, and he was nasty, by the way.
For the first few innings, Mookie Betts was the only Dodgers hitter seeing the ball well from Webb, as he smacked a pair of singles but was left stranded. The Giants’ offense grabbed a few hits but never truly threatened to score early.
When Webb got NL Wild Card Game hero Chris Taylor to swing through a fastball to end the top of the fifth, that meant the Dodgers’ pitcher’s spot would lead off to begin the sixth. With Urías dealing scoreless frames, Los Angeles had a decision to make. Manager Dave Roberts decided to let Urías bat, which resulted in the first out of the inning. Then Mookie Betts and Corey Seager manufactured the first run of the game.
That was Betts’ third single of the game. He was locked in on Webb’ changeup and he laid off the slider. But the Dodgers only captured that momentum for a short time. Darin Ruf, who got the start tonight despite the fact that Roberts went with the right-handed Knebel to open, stepped to the plate against the lefty Urías. Ruf got all of it. 452 feet to dead center and the game was tied!
So the Dodgers punched and the Giants punched back. Neither had delivered a knockout blow, so the fight continued into the late innings. Logan Webb went to the mound for the seventh inning and cruised through it to end his night with an impressive line: 7 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K.
The drama picked up in the 8th inning. Submarine-style throwers are a rarity in today’s game, so when Tyler Rogers came out of the bullpen for San Francisco, it was a sight to see. With one out, A.J. Pollock swung late at a fastball and chopped a grounder to a diving Wilmer Flores who was shifted way off the first base bag. The ball ricocheted off of Wilmer’s glove and Pollock reached first with an infield single. Next up, Mookie Betts. Of course, he made solid contact for a ground ball single, his fourth base hit of the game. With runners on first and second, in stepped Corey Seager. Despite clear control issues throughout the at bat, Rogers navigated enough pitches by Seager to get the swinging strikeout for the second out. Then Gabe Kapler slow-walked out to the mound and took the ball from Rogers. He waved in 24-year-old rookie Camilo Doval to face Trea Turner in the game’s biggest spot.
It worked.
Turner flied out to right on the very first pitch and it was the Giants’ turn to hit.
Kenley Jansen has no shortage of Postseason experience, but this time around was a little different than his past outings. Tonight, he showed off his slider, which worked off of his classic cutter — a combination he did not possess in prior Postseasons. Jansen locked down a 1-2-3 inning, so the game entered the ninth inning in a 1-1 stalemate.
Doval stayed in the game and quickly induced a groundout from Dodgers’ catcher Will Smith to begin the inning. Things turned when he plunked Justin Turner with the very next pitch. Gavin Lux found a hole to cap off a 6-pitch at bat, bringing Cody Bellinger to the plate with the go-ahead run at second base. Doval, known for his blazing fastball, tossed four consecutive sliders to Bellinger. The fourth was a mistake.
Cody Bellinger, who batted .165 in the 2021 regular season, lined a ball into the right-center gap giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning. CLUTCH.
The Giants went to Kevin Gausman, yes the starter, to get them out of the ninth inning, and that he did. Yet, the Dodgers had a counter. It was Mad Max time.
Max Scherzer, one of the best starting pitchers in the game’s history, entered the game in a save attempt on the road in Game 5 of the ALDS.
Scherzer dealt with Brandon Crawford, who nearly blooped a hit to left field, but it was reeled in for the first out. Then everybody’s heart rate went up. Kris Bryant smacked a ground ball right at Justin Turner. The seasoned veteran bobbled the ball, allowing Bryant to reach safely.
Scherzer retired LaMonte Wade Jr. for the second out of the ninth, but this is where the controversy begins.
Wilmer Flores was next up for the Giants. He fell to an 0-2 count, then Scherzer buried a slider in the dirt. Flores took his bat off of his shoulder and started to bring the barrel towards home plate. He immediately recognized the pitch and pulled the bat head back behind him. The result was crushing. The season was 162 games. Giants fans watched their team battle to stay ahead of the Dodgers all year and earn home field advantage in the Postseason. But the ending was not fair and square and will only leave Giants’ fans playing “what if?” games for years to come.
First base umpire called Wilmer Flores out on the swing. It is a call that will go down in baseball history as a marker for changes in umpiring. I fully expect check swings to become reviewable this offseason. But that will not put the toothpaste back in the tube. Not for the Giants. Flores did not go.
The instant classic elimination game ends with a bittersweet sense of shock and disbelief. The ride was great, but was it worth it?
P.S. Here is a side note from Game 3.