PHOENIX -- Two things were abundantly clear about the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night, and both propelled L.A. into its second straight National League Championship Series.
First: Yu Darvish, a trade-deadline acquisition brought in specifically for this time of the year, gave the Dodgers exactly what they needed.
Second: Even before Darvish was added, the Dodgers were baseball’s best team with top-to-bottom excellence, featuring a deep roster that had been unexpectedly bolstered by the right-on-time arrival of the National League’s top rookie, Cody Bellinger.
All of this was on display Monday, as the Dodgers stymied the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 to complete the only three-game sweep of the four division series this season.