LOS ANGELES — The first one was a miracle. The second was a relief. The third was inevitable.
By the time the 51,363 hoarse fans at Dodger Stadium coaxed third baseman Chris Taylor out of the dugout for a curtain call in the seventh inning of Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, the outcome was decided. Los Angeles would go on to stave off elimination with an 11–2 victory to force Game 6 in Atlanta. The only drama that remained was whether Taylor would become the first player in history to hit four home runs in a playoff game.