LOS ANGELES — Winter here could start as soon as Thursday. Not because Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made a series of ill-fated pitching decisions. Not because president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman failed to construct a bullpen his skipper could trust. Not because fielders have lost some balls in the sun and let others glance off their gloves.
After a 9–2 rout in Game 4, Atlanta leads the National League Championship Series three games to one, with a chance to win the pennant at Dodger Stadium. If the Dodgers indeed finish snuffing out their 106-win season on Thursday, the scene of the crime will be the batter’s box.