A week ago, the Dodgers finally seemed to be reaching their long-elusive ceiling.
They had won nine of their first 10 postseason games. They were coupling historic starting pitching with opportunistic offense and just enough production out of the bullpen. They were seen as heavy World Series favorites against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Then, as has happened so often this season, a confounding moment of adversity struck.
Over this Fall Classic, their once-overlooked offensive worries escalated into full-blown panic alarms. In their previous 20 innings entering Game 5, the Dodgers scored just three times.
The pressure reached a tipping point Wednesday, when the Dodgers announced a notable shake-up to their lineup.