LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers never wanted this. They spent the last six months trying in vain to avoid the exact scenario they found themselves in on Wednesday night: a white-knuckle stressfest of an elimination game to begin the postseason. Instead of a quick exit, the four-hour pressure-cooker ended with yet another instantly iconic postseason moment for a franchise with more than a few of them.
Chris Taylor’s two-out, walk-off home run gave Los Angeles more than just a 3-1 win over the Cardinals and a spot in the NLDS. It delivered a crushing blow to the rest of the 2021 postseason field who were no doubt hoping for the reigning champions to be victimized by MLB’s wild-card format and get bounced after just one game.