Rain delayed the start of the game at Petco Park on Saturday, but the San Diego Padres made sure to hasten the Dodgers' exit from the playoffs by trailing them 5-3 in Game 4 of the NL Division Series and winning the series 3-1.
We've seen the script for this movie before: The Dodgers are having a magical season, they're automatically considered favourites to win it all, and they need to secure a good hotel room to follow the team to the World Series.
The Padres stopped being the children and returned to reality as the spoiled team with the most money and the third-best record in the history of the Major Leagues in a season that reached 111 masterful victories.
It was also a place to enjoy staying in California's oldest city with enchanting beauty and a Mediterranean-tinged climate.
Instead, the Dodgers seemed as confused as the lost goose that landed in their stadium on Wednesday in Game 2 and became a symbol of this series.
The crowd at Petco yelled "Beat LA" at the top of their lungs, and their team responded by notching one of the most incredible victories, perhaps the most important, in their 55-year history. In addition, they will return for the first time since 1998 to the National League Championship Series.
For all this, those from San Diego will be the just hosts against the Philadelphia Phillies in a series that begins on Tuesday, October 18.
The Dodgers had started the series before their fans up 1-0, which turned out to be a liar who intended, at least until the seventh inning, to put things back in place when they were up 3-0 in Game 4 and even the series.
Victory would have allowed them to return to Los Angeles and wake the Padres from their sweet sleep. However, the Padres are wide awake while Angelenos are living a nightmare.
Padres in nine consecutive series, and 2022, they continued their fatherhood by defeating them in 14 of 19 games.
Without playing his best game, the Mexican Julio Urias complied when the team put the spotlight on him, and he answered them by claiming the only win for the Dodgers in Game 1 of the series, proving once again that it is a reality.
Ace Clayton Kershaw had to settle for Game 2, which ended in a loss for the Angelenos. The left-handed pitcher will have a summer similar to the previous one.
It is inevitable to think that important changes are coming for the Dodger's postseason. If so, it will be necessary to see with a magnifying glass what is failing them to remain constant in the playoffs because, for the regular season, it seems that they have already found the formula.
It's possible. It has all the apocalyptic elements to say yes.
Build on the 'Culichi'. He answered the call when asked, and apart from being a gifted pitcher, he has shown that he can be patient for the team's good. His process is finished, he is a ready product, and he has proven it numerous times.
His responsibility was to dictate his team's path in these playoffs, and although he was not perfect, he achieved his goal of winning that Game 1, only the team did not respond in the following games as expected.
The Dodgers won't. There is not much to analyze because they believe in Roberts, and unless something very special happens, the manager will fulfil his contract, which was extended in March until 2025.
It will be a long and sad vacation for Angelenos, and many questions will have obvious answers… not so simple, but definitive to change the organization's future.
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