A tip of the hat this morning to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, whose unconventional decisions helped his club beat the Nationals 4-3 last night in the fifth and deciding game of their Division Series. How many other skippers would bring in their closer Kenley Jansen in the 7th inning and leave him in to get seven outs?
Then, to finish the game after a weary Jansen walked a pair in the 9th, he summoned his ace -- and the team's emotional leader -- Clayton Kershaw. This after Kershaw started the first and fourth game of the series. It was the classic example of "all hands on deck." Working with the tieing and winning runs on, Kershaw delivered: getting post-season sensation Daniel Murphy to pop up harmlessly. He finished it off striking out pinch hitter Wilmer Difo. A Bumgarner-esque effort, locking down the Dodgers ticket to Wrigley Field and Saturday's NLCS opener with the Cubs.
Let's not forget that four-run rally that put the Dodgers in position to win: Joc Pederson's homer that sent Washington's Max Scherzer to the showers; ex-Phillie Carlos Ruiz with a tie-breaking single; and Justin Turner driving in what became the two insurance runs.
But this was the night that belonged to Roberts and his pitchers who came up big.
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