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Dodgers on the brink of playoff elimination after losing to Braves in NLCS Game 4

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Dodgers players watch teammate Justin Turner limp off the field during the seventh inning.
Dodgers players watch teammate Justin Turner limp off the field during the seventh inning of Game 4 of the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Eddie Rosario hit two home runs, including a three-run blast in the ninth, to propel the Braves to a 9-2 win over the Dodgers in NLCS Game 4.

Final: Braves win 9-2, move within a game of eliminating the Dodgers in the NLCS

Dodgers players watch from the dugout during the ninth inning of Game 4 of the NLCS on Wednesday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

After the Dodgers landed a gut-punch in Game 3, the Braves answer with an ambush in Game 4, winning 9-2 at Dodger Stadium to take a 3-1 lead in the NLCS for a second year in a row.

It was the most lopsided playoff loss for the Dodgers — who went down in order in the bottom of the ninth — since last year’s NLCS Game 4, when the Braves beat them 10-2.

Last year, of course, the Dodgers overcame the odds to win the series in seven games.

Still, history is not on their side.

Of the 89 MLB teams who have ever faced a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series, only 14 — including’s last year’s Dodgers — have come back to win.

VIDEO | 03:39
Dodgers one loss away from elimination after NLCS Game 4 loss

Los Angeles Dodgers players Julio Urías and AJ Pollock, with manager Dave Roberts, discuss losing NLCS Game 4 and how they feel going into an elimination game.

NLCS Game 4 final: Braves 9, Dodgers 2

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9-2 Braves, top 9th: Freddie Freeman, Eddie Rosario break it open for Braves in the ninth

Atlanta's Eddie Rosario, right, celebrates after hitting a three-run home run in the ninth inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The Braves have pulled away in the top of the ninth.

After Freddie Freeman hit a run-scoring ground-rule double, Eddie Rosario added to his monster night with a three-run homer to right off Tony Gonsolin.

Rosario is now 4-for-5 tonight with two home runs, a triple and 4 RBIs.

As Dodger fans have begun to file out, a handful of Braves fans behind home plate have started a couple Tomahawk Chop chants.

Top 9th: Braves lead 9-2

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5-2 Braves, end 8th: Tony Gonsolin pitches scoreless eighth, but Dodgers down to their final three outs

Los Angeles, CA - October 20: Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts looks back after striking out.
Mookie Betts looks back after striking out for the Dodgers in the eighth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers have gotten what they needed out of their bullpen, which produced its third-consecutive scoreless inning after Tony Gonsolin worked around an error in top of the eighth.

However, their lineup has failed to produce much since the two-run fifth inning, going down in order in the eighth against reliever Tyler Matzek.

The Dodgers now have three outs to mount a rally, or else they will face a 3-1 hole in this series.

End 8th: Braves lead 5-2

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5-2 Braves, bottom 7th: Justin Turner limps off field, exits game with injury

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner walks slowly through the dugout after suffering a leg injury.
Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner walks slowly through the dugout after suffering a leg injury while running to first base in the seventh inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Dodger Stadium came alive in the bottom of the seventh after Albert Pujols led off with a pinch-hit single and was replaced by Walker Buehler as a pinch-runner.

But then, the more than 53,000 in attendance fell silent in the next at-bat.

Justin Turner not only rolled into a double-play, but he came up limping after running to first, appearing to favor his left hamstring. He walked off the field alongside a the team’s training staff.

The inning ended a few pitches later, after Cody Bellinger flied out to center.

Turner indeed exited the game to begin the eighth, with Steve Souza Jr. going into right field, Mookie Betts moving to center and Chris Taylor taking over at third base.

End 7th: Braves lead 5-2

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5-2 Braves, end 6th: Dodgers go down in order against A.J. Minter

A fan watches from the stands at Dodger Stadium as the moon rises during the sixth inning.
A fan watches from the stands at Dodger Stadium as the moon rises during the sixth inning in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Braves on Wednesday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The heart of the Dodgers’ order couldn’t do anything against Braves left-hander A.J. Minter in the sixth.

Corey Seager flied out, Trea Turner struck out and Will Smith rolled into an inning-ending grounder.

The Dodgers will send Phil Bickford back to the mound to begin the top of the seventh.

End 6th: Braves lead 5-2

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5-2 Braves, mid 6th: Phil Bickford strands runner in sixth

Dodgers reliever Phil Bickford reacts during the sixth inning against the Braves.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Dodgers reliever Phil Bickford took care of experience in the sixth, stranding a leadoff single from Travis d’Arnaud by retiring the next three Braves hitters.

That keeps the Dodgers’ deficit at three with 12 outs to go.

The Braves are summoning left-hander A.J. Minter to the mound.

Mid 6th: Braves lead 5-2

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5-2 Braves, bottom 5th: AJ Pollock puts Dodgers on the board

Los Angeles, CA - October 20: Los Angeles Dodgers' AJ Pollock hits a two-run single during the fifth inning.
AJ Pollock hits a two-run single during the fifth inning for the Dodgers.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers are on the board.

After Cody Bellinger stole second without a throw with two outs in the fifth, pinch-hitter AJ Pollock poked a cutter the other way into right field, driving in two runs with his base hit.

The inning ended in the next at-bat, with Mookie Betts grounding out for the third out. But the Dodgers have finally cut into the Braves’ lead.

They’ll send Phil Bickford to the mound to begin the sixth inning.

End 5th: Braves lead 5-2

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5-0 Braves, bottom 5th: Dodgers get first couple hits, chase Drew Smyly from game

Atlanta Braves pitcher Drew Smyly delivers during the second inning.
(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

For the first time tonight, there’s some life inside Dodger Stadium.

With one out in the fifth, Justin Turner got the Dodgers’ first hit of the game by beating the shift with a line-drive single the other way.

In the next at-bat, Cody Bellinger also used the big part of the field, shooting a single into the left-center field gap to put runners on the corners.

That forced Braves manager Brian Snitker to go back to his bullpen, calling upon right-hander Chris Martin with one out in the inning.

Bottom 5th: Braves lead 5-0

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5-0 Braves, top 5th: Braves stretch lead on Adam Duvall sacrifice fly

Dodgers catcher Will Smith reacts after striking out during the fourth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Julio Urías had never given up more than four runs in a playoff game. Until tonight.

In the fifth inning, Ozzie Albies led off with a single that beat the shift, Eddie Rosario picked up his third hit with a base knock into right field that put runners on the corners, then Adam Duvall added to the Braves’ lead by sending a sacrifice fly into center field.

In 21 previous postseason outings, Urías’ previous high for runs allowed came in a four-run outing against the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 NLCS.

Top 5th: Braves lead 5-0

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4-0 Braves, end 4th: Julio Urías posts a zero, but Dodgers still looking for first hit

Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias reacts after a run-scoring single by Joc Pederson during the third inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

After allowing two runs in the each of the second and third innings, Julio Urías bounced back with a 13-pitch fourth inning in which he retired the side in order with two strikeouts.

The Dodgers’ offense, however, is still looking for its first run ... and hit. Corey Seager became their first baserunner of the night by drawing a one-out walk in the bottom of the fourth, but was left stranded.

In what was supposed to be a bullpen game for the Braves, Drew Smyly has looked more like a bulk reliever, completing his third scoreless inning in the fourth.

End 4th: Braves lead 4-0

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4-0 Braves, end 3rd: Dodgers still without a baserunner

Atlanta's Eddie Rosario dives into third base and beats the tag of Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner.
Atlanta’s Eddie Rosario, right, dives into third base and beats the tag of Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner for a triple during the third inning..
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Whatever offensive momentum the Dodgers had after last night’s comeback hasn’t showed up so far.

Instead, the Dodgers lineup has made nine straight outs against two Braves pitchers to begin the game.

Gavin Lux’s deep fly and an easy fly out by Julio Urías were the only two balls to even leave the infield.

End 3rd: Braves lead 4-0

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4-0 Braves, top 3rd: Frustration mounting as Braves tack on another run

Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urías reacts after allowing a solo home run to Atlanta's Eddie Rosario.
Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urías reacts after allowing a solo home run to Atlanta’s Eddie Rosario during the second inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Things are going from bad to worse for Julio Urías early on tonight.

After yielding the three solo home runs, the left-hander was tagged for another in the top of the third after Eddie Rosario hammered a hanging curveball into right for a triple, Adam Duvall was intentionally walked, and Joc Pederson sliced an RBI single into shallow center field.

Gavin Lux tried charging on Pederson’s ball, but pulled up as it landed in front of him. Urías appeared to raise his arms in frustration as the ball landed, allowing Rosario to cross home plate.

Urías got out of the inning without any more damage, but he has now already thrown 64 pitches. His velocity has also been down, with each of his three pitches averaging about a half-mph less than his season-long norms.

Mid 3rd: Braves lead 4-0

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3-0 Braves, top 3rd: Julio Urías gives up third home run to Freddie Freeman

Atlanta's Freddie Freeman, right, celebrates with teammate Austin Riley after hitting a solo home run.
Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman, right, celebrates with teammate Austin Riley after hitting a solo home run during the third inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

For only the second time in his career, Julio Urías has surrendered three home runs in a game.

This time, it was Freddie Freeman hitting a solo blast to lead off the third inning, launching an elevated fastball into the right-field pavilion.

The only other time Urías was taken deep three times in a big-league game: June 2, 2016 against the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field — his second ever major-league outing.

Top 3rd: Braves lead 3-0

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2-0 Braves, end 2nd: Gavin Lux has deep drive robbed at the wall

Atlanta Braves center fielder Adam Duvall makes a leaping catch at the wall on a fly ball hit by Gavin Lux.
Atlanta Braves center fielder Adam Duvall makes a leaping catch at the wall on a fly ball hit by Gavin Lux during the second inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Gavin Lux thought he had hit a home run, or at least driven one deep enough for extra bases.

Instead, his fly ball in the second inning was caught at the top of the wall by leaping Braves center fielder Adam Duvall, robbing Lux and the Dodgers the chance at an immediate response in what instead became a 1-2-3 bottom of the second.

The Braves used their second pitcher of the night in the inning, bringing on left-hander Drew Smyly after Jesse Chavez was pinch-hit for in the top half of the inning.

End 2nd: Braves lead 2-0

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2-0 Braves, top 2nd: Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall hit back-to-back home runs

Atlanta's Eddie Rosario celebrates with Joc Pederson after hitting a solo home run.
Atlanta’s Eddie Rosario, right, celebrates with Joc Pederson after hitting a solo home run during the second inning Wednesday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

After the top of the Dodgers lineup went down in order against Braves opener Jesse Chavez, Atlanta opened the scoring with back-to-back homers against Julio Urías in the top of the second.

Eddie Rosario got the first one, going the other way on an 0-2 fastball up the zone for a solo home run — his seventh hit of the series, most on either team.

Adam Duvall also took Urías deep in the next at-bat, whacking a full-count fastball to left center.

It was the first time since 2002 the Braves had hit back-to-back home runs in a postseason game.

Top 2nd: Braves lead 2-0

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No score, top 1st: Julio Urías begins game with scoreless frame

Dodgers players take the field at Dodger Stadium before Game 4 of the NLCS.
Dodgers players take the field at Dodger Stadium before Game 4 of the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

We’re underway at Dodger Stadium, where Julio Urías stranded a one-out in a scoreless top of the first.

Urías only threw 14 pitches in the opening frame, too, getting help from Cody Bellinger on the second out when the first baseman made an impressive over the should catch on a pop up in shallow right field.

Mid 1st: No score

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What to know about NLCS Game 4: Dodgers turn to Julio Urías, Braves going with bullpen game, and more

Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urías warms up before Game 4 of the NLCS against the Braves at Dodger Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers enter tonight’s Game 4 against the Atlanta Braves with a chance to even the National League Championship Series at two games apiece.

And they have Cody Bellinger’s memorable game-tying three-run homer from yesterday to thank.

“I’ve watched it probably a dozen times,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts joked pregame. “Now with this thing called TikTok, it’s around everywhere.”

So, could the Game 3 comeback help propel the Dodgers on Wednesday night?

“I do think that there’s something to just the confidence,” Roberts said. “The swagger.”

Less than an hour from first pitch, here’s everything you need to know about Game 4.

First pitch: 5:08 p.m.

TV: TBS

Lineups:

Dodgers notes: Julio Urías will take the mound for his fourth appearance and second start of the playoffs.

After Urías threw 14 pitches in a surprise relief outing in Game 2, Roberts said the left-hander will “go as long as he can go” in tonight’s game.

“There’s no, within reason, a pitch limit,” Roberts said of Urías, who also pitched four innings of bulk relief last Thursday in Game 5 of the NLDS.

“He feels good ... he’s ready to go,” Roberts added. “So if we can build a lead, I don’t see how he can’t get to 90, 95 pitches.”

In his two NLDS outings, Urías was sharp, giving up just two runs in nine total innings against the San Francisco Giants. He struggled in the eighth inning of Game 2 of this series, however, giving up two runs that allowed the Braves to tie the game.

Urías faced the Braves twice in the regular season, yielding just three runs and striking out 12 batters in 11 total innings.

The Dodgers will use the same eight position players tonight as they did in Game 3, notably putting Gavin Lux back in center field after his error on a dropped fly ball yesterday.

“I told him a couple innings after [the error], ‘you’re going to be in there tomorrow and I don’t want you to be careful, just keep playing,’” Roberts said.

Lux’s reaction?

“He gave me a fist bump.”

The Dodgers did tweak their batting order, flipping Lux and Justin Turner in order to break up their four left-handed batters.

Regarding the bullpen, Roberts also said he will be more willing to use leverage arms such as Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol — neither of whom pitched yesterday — for multiple innings today.

Braves notes: The Braves were always planning to use a bullpen game in Game 4, but made a last minute switch after originally scheduled starter Huascar Ynoa was scratched with shoulder inflammation.

Jesse Chavez will now serve as the opener.

It’s unclear who the Braves will use behind him, but the Dodgers have already seen all of their relievers this series except for left-handers Drew Smyly and Dylan Lee (who replaced Ynoa on the Braves’ NLCS roster pregame).

The Braves will field the same lineup, with a few tweaks to the batting order: Right-handed hitter Dansby Swanson will lead off, with left-handers Eddie Rosario and Joc Pederson moving down to fifth and seventh, respectively.

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Braves scratch Huascar Ynoa, announce Jesse Chavez will start in bullpen game

Atlanta Braves pitcher Jesse Chavez throws against the New York Mets on Oct. 2.
(Ben Margot / Associated Press)

The Braves made a late change to their pitching plans for Game 4, announcing that Huascar Ynoa won’t start as originally expected because of shoulder inflammation.

Former Dodgers and Angels pitcher Jesse Chavez will instead open in the Braves’ bullpen game. Chavez will be making his third appearance of the series.

Braves manager Brian Snitker said Chavez, who has served as the opener in other bullpen games for the Braves, said he hopes Chavez will be able to face “five hitters or six hitters, or whatever it is, just to get [the game] off the ground like we’ve done in the past with him.”

The Braves replaced Ynoa on their NLCS roster with left-handed pitcher Dylan Lee.

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Trea Turner looks to break out of playoff slump

Trea Turner strikes out during the seventh inning of the Dodgers' 6-5 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 3.
Trea Turner strikes out during the seventh inning of the Dodgers’ 6-5 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the NLCS on Tuesday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Trea Turner’s infield single in the eighth inning of Game 3 on Tuesday snapped an 0-for-10 skid for the Dodgers second baseman, who has had a minimal impact in the postseason.

The No. 3 batter hit .328 with a .911 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 28 homers, 34 doubles, 77 RBIs, 107 runs and 32 stolen bases this season, but he entered Game 4 on Wednesday with a .225 average (nine for 40), two doubles, one RBI, 10 strikeouts and no walks in nine playoff games.

Manager Dave Roberts hopes the Braves’ decision to intentionally walk Corey Seager to pitch to Turner in the eighth inning on Tuesday lights a fire under the NL batting champ.

“I think that’s something he took personal, which he should have,” Roberts said before Game 4. “Probably one of the first times somebody has ever pitched around a player in front of him to get to him, right?

“Obviously, the result was a soft-contact hit, but I thought the swings, the swing decisions, the at-bat, were very good. Trea is trying to figure some things out. He’s an aggressive hitter. I just want him to continue to kind of be aggressive to his zone, and if it’s not there, take his base.”

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Dodgers tweak Game 4 lineup after Braves’ pitching change

Mookie Betts drives in the go-ahead run on a double in the eighth inning against the Braves in Game 3.
Mookie Betts drives in the go-ahead run on a double in the eighth inning against the Braves in Game 3 of the NLCS on Tuesday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

A night after their dramatic Game 3 comeback win, the Dodgers were going to roll out the same lineup for the second straight day in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Braves on Wednesday.

But that changed when the Braves changed their pitching plans. Atlanta originally had Huascar Ynoa scheduled to open its bullpen game, but Ynoa was scratched with shoulder inflammation.

Instead, right-hander Jesse Chavez will open. Chavez gave up two hits and walked one in two-thirds of an inning in Game 3.

As a result, the Dodgers flipped Justin Turner and Gavin Lux in the batting order. Lux will bat fifth and play center field. Turner, the third baseman, will hit sixth in his 79th career postseason start. He has never batted lower in the order in his playoff career.

The Braves replaced Ynoa with Dylan Lee, a left-hander, on the roster. The substitution had to be approved by Major League Baseball.

Left-hander Drew Smyly is expected to log multiple innings out of the Braves bullpen, which would force the Dodgers to decide whether to make changes to counter Smyly’s handedness.

Julio Urías will start after throwing 14 pitches out of the bullpen in Game 2 on Sunday. It will be his fourth postseason appearance and second start in 12 days. He’s given up four runs across 10 innings.

He’ll look to give the Dodgers some length after they used eight relievers in Game 3 and before their scheduled bullpen game Wednesday in Game 5.

Dodgers vs. Braves, Game 4 of the NLCS lineup.
(Allison Hong / Los Angeles Times)
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Betting lines and odds for Dodgers vs. Braves on Wednesday

The Dodgers, who avoided a 3-0 National League Championship Series deficit thanks to a four-run eighth inning on Tuesday, look to Julio Urías to help them even their series against the Braves on Wednesday.

Urías pitched out of the bullpen for the first time since last year’s postseason in Game 2 when he allowed two runs in the eighth inning. As a starter, he had a MLB-best 20 wins during the regular season.

Urías has posted a lower ERA on the road than at home this season with a 3.27 in Los Angeles compared to a 2.79 on the road.

The Braves have gone 17-4 in their last 21 games and will go with their bullpen to extend that mark.

The Braves did not name who will open Wednesday’s game following their Game 3 loss, leading many sportsbooks to not post a line overnight, though DraftKings did. The Dodgers opened a -235 favorite and it was bet down to -220 less than five minutes after being posted. The price stayed there overnight, and the opening total of eight did not change overnight, though the price on the under went from -120 to -110.

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Momentum changer? Braves see Game 3 loss to Dodgers as ‘a speed bump in the road’

Los Angeles, CA - October 19: Atlanta Braves' Joc Pederson reacts after striking out during the ninth inning.
Atlanta’s Joc Pederson reacts after striking out during the ninth inning in the Braves’ 6-5 loss to the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The first thought in the head of Atlanta Braves reliever Luke Jackson when his 95.6-mph fastball to Cody Bellinger left his hand in the eighth inning Tuesday was that it was a waste pitch, a 1-and-2 offering well above the strike zone.

“I was trying to throw a fastball up and away, and I actually threw it better than I thought I threw it,” Jackson said. “Out of my hand, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a ball. It’s too high.’ And no, it wasn’t too high.”

Bellinger, who had trouble handling high heat all season, somehow got his barrel to the armpit-high pitch and crushed a three-run, score-tying home run to right-center field, the key blow in the Dodgers’ 6-5 come-from-behind win in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series at Chavez Ravine.

Five outs away from taking a commanding three-games-to-none lead in the series and taking a huge step toward their first World Series appearance since 1999, the underdog Braves, winners of 88 games this season, suffered a potentially staggering, momentum-turning loss to the 106-win Dodgers.

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Five takeaways from the Dodgers’ 6-5 win over the Braves in Game 3 of the NLCS

Los Angeles, CA - October 19: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Phil Bickford runs onto the field
Dodgers reliever Phil Bickford takes the field during the fifth inning in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Last October, the Dodgers blitzed the Atlanta Braves with an 11-run first inning of Game 3 to get back in the National League Championship Series.

On Tuesday, facing an identical 0-2 deficit entering the third game of this year’s NLCS rematch against the Braves, the Dodgers needed late heroics to keep their season from reaching the brink.

With a dramatic 6-5 win at Dodger Stadium, decided during a rollicking four-run eighth inning in which Cody Bellinger tied the score with a three-run homer before Mookie Betts decided it with an RBI double, the Dodgers cut their series deficit in half and snatched all the momentum in the best-of-seven showdown.

“All it takes is a hit or two,” Betts said of the team’s Game 3 comeback. “Then you get some energy, and then you forget, you forget that you’re down 0-2 and whatnot.”

Here are five takeaways from Game 3:

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Cody Bellinger becomes the Dodgers’ unexpected hero again, saving season

Dodgers' Cody Bellinger hugs Albert Pujols after the game-tying three-run home run.
Cody Bellinger hugs Albert Pujols after hitting a three-run home run in the eighth inning of a 6-5 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the NLCS on Tuesday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

There’s something paradoxical about the most glorious victory lap in sports.

Send a pitch over the outfield wall at a critical moment in front of the home crowd, as Cody Bellinger did on Tuesday, and the bouncing spectators scream and literally make the stadium shake.

“It’s loud,” Bellinger said.

The player responsible for the chaos will experience the scene like none of the other 50,000-plus people there.

“You don’t really hear anything and you don’t really see anything,” Bellinger said.

Moments like this often belong to the LeBrons and Currys in basketball, the Bradys and Mannings in football, the Messis and Ronaldos in soccer.

Only in baseball are games or series or seasons changed practically every October by the unlikeliest of players.

On Tuesday, that unexpected hero was Bellinger, a .165 hitter in the regular season.

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Dodgers go from ‘dead in the water’ to season-saving Game 3 comeback win over Braves

Cody Bellinger celebrates after a three-run home run.
Cody Bellinger celebrates after hitting a three-run home run in Game 3 of the NLCS.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The course of the Dodgers’ season, five outs from a 3-0 ditch just one team has overcome in Major League Baseball history, changed in their 6-5 win Tuesday when Cody Bellinger decided to chase a fastball several inches above the strike zone.

By the time the baseball landed in the right-field pavilion for a game-tying, three-run home run in the eighth inning, the fans, those who stuck around to see Game 3 of the National League Championship Series through, were roaring to a decibel level few have ever experienced inside Dodger Stadium.

Bellinger hopped around first base, turned to face the Dodgers dugout across the diamond and swaggered around the bases. The swing, a tomahawk chop to the Atlanta Braves’ hearts, replenished the Dodgers’ World Series aspirations. The building shook. The Dodgers exhaled.

“We were dead in the water,” manager Dave Roberts said. “You could see it.”

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Dodgers were finished until Game 3 comeback. Now it’s the Braves who are on the ropes

Dodgers' Cody Bellinger celebrates after hitting a game-tying, three-run home run
Cody Bellinger celebrates after hitting a game-tying, three-run home run in the eighth inning of a 6-5 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

It was over.

The game, the series, the season, it was over.

The Dodgers trailed by three runs that felt like 30, they were down to their final five outs, the Atlanta Braves were on the verge of a three-games-to-none lead in a nightmare that was skidding toward a sweep.

Then it happened.

Crack … roar … crack … roar.

Cody Bellinger happened. Mookie Betts happened. Dodger Stadium happened. Randy Newman happened.

Rollin’ down the Imperial Highway …

As a late afternoon chill descended upon Chavez Ravine on Tuesday, with scores of their fans and most reasonable hope having abandoned them, the Dodgers located their heartbeat, found their magic, and burst through the shadows.

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Julio Urías set to start NLCS Game 4 for Dodgers, ready or not

Los Angeles, CA - October 19: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias acknowledges the fans.
Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías acknowledges the fans before Game 3 of the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday. He’ll start Game 4 against the Dodgers on Wednesday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

This postseason has made a mockery of traditional starting pitching, so to say the Dodgers have their rotation lined up the way they want might be wishful thinking.

The Dodgers have gotten a total of 27 outs from their starting pitchers in the first three games of the National League Championship Series, primarily not by design.

But the Dodgers, trailing two games to one in the best-of-seven series, have Max Scherzer lined up for Game 6 and Walker Buehler for Game 7.

That assumes the Dodgers get there.

They used nine pitchers in winning Game 3 on Tuesday. All nine of the Dodgers’ relievers either got into the game or warmed up in the bullpen. At this point, the last thing the Dodgers want is to play Thursday’s Game 5 — their scheduled bullpen game — as an elimination game with an exhausted bullpen.

That puts Julio Urías into the October spotlight once again. After entering for his last appearance in the eighth inning of Game 2, and for his previous appearance in the third inning, the Dodgers will ask baseball’s only 20-game winner to start a game on Wednesday. They would really, really, really like him to pitch deep into the game.

Scherzer made his last start on two days’ rest, after a relief appearance. It did not go well.

Urías starts Wednesday on two days’ rest, after a relief appearance.

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