If you want to find it, you’ll have to dig deep into the box score from Tuesday night’s 4-3 Dodgers win over the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks. It wasn’t a thrilling walk-off home run or even a hit at all. It wasn’t a walk or a balk or a wild pitch. It was, of all things, a stolen base. And it was the difference between Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw collecting his MLB-leading 13th win of the season or a no-decision. It was also the difference between Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen picking up his 19th save of the season or suffering his first blown save.

It all started in the eighth inning with the Dodgers enjoying a relatively comfortable 3-0 lead over the snakes – the result of an absolutely brilliant seven-inning performance by Kershaw in which he did not allow a hit until after the second out of the seventh inning in front of a sold out Fourth of July Dodger Stadium crowd. He would complete his 7.0 innings of work with a pitching line of no runs, two hits, two walks and 11 strikeouts. Dodgers left-hander Luis Avilan would begin the top of the eighth inning and retire both batters he faced, one on a ground out and the other with a strikeout. Avilan was replaced by right-handed flamethrower Pedro Baez who, after allowing a two out double to fresh-off-the-DL Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock followed by a balk to move him to third base, got Dbacks right fielder David Peralta to hit a laser shot line drive comebacker that Baez was able to glove for the third out of the inning to keep the Dodgers 3-0 shutout intact.

Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor led off the bottom of the eighth with a single to center off of Dbacks left-handed reliever Jorge De La Rosa. Taylor advanced to second on a Kiké Hernandez ground out to third baseman Daniel Descalso.

With one out and on a 1-2 pitch to Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal, Taylor stole third base. We’re talking flat out highway robbery here. In fact, Taylor was halfway to third base even before De La Rosa began his forward motion towards the plate and Dbacks catcher Chris Iannetta didn’t even bother with what would have been a completely futile throw. It was Taylor’s team-leading 11th stolen base of the season. And although no one knew it at the time, it would prove to be the key to the Dodgers victory. Two pitches later – on a 3-2 count – Grandal his a sharp single to left field for his third hit of the night that allowed Taylor to waltz home to make it a 4-0 ballgame.

Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor broke for third base even before Dbacks lefty Jorge De La Rosa began his forward motion to the plate. (Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

Although Taylor’s insurance run seemed insignificant at the time, it did two things. It caused Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen to discontinue warming up in the bullpen because it was no longer a save situation, and it caused hard-throwing Dodgers right-hander Brandon Morrow to begin warming up in somewhat of a hurry. Fortunately, Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig worked the count full before he grounded out to De La Rose and pinch-hitter Trayce Thompson (for Baez) worked to a 3-1 count before he flied out to center to end the inning.

Morrow entered the game in the top of the ninth and served up a leadoff double to perennial All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. He then got Dbacks shortstop Chris Owings to ground out to Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager, which prevented Goldschmidt from advancing to third base. However, the next batter, Dbacks second baseman Brandon Drury, lined a single to left to move Goldie to third base and put runners at the corners with one out. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had seen enough and with a save situation now firmly in place, he wasted no time in bringing in his star closer to seal the deal.

…or so we thought.

Jansen quickly got Iannetta to pop out to Dodgers second baseman Logan Forsythe for the second out of the inning and just like that the Dodgers were one out away from their ninth shutout of the season.

…or so we thought.

After Drury took second base on defensive indifference, Jansen hung a 2-1 cutter right over the heart of the plate that Daniel Descalso did not miss and launched it 388 feet into the Right Field Pavilion for a three-run home run. It was the fourth home run allowed by the Dodgers All-Star closer and just like that, the so-called insurance run that had come as a result of Taylor’s stolen base and Grandal’s RBI single was the difference in the game. But hey, it was Kenley Jansen on the mound for the Dodgers and he is as automatic as any pitcher in the game.

…or so we thought.

With Dbacks pinch hitter Jake Lamb at the plate, Jansen – the guy who had struck out 53 batters to that point while issuing exactly one walk all season – walked Lamb and just like that the Dbacks had the tying run at first base and the go-ahead run at the plate in the form of pinch-hitter Chris Herrmann. But with visions of a potential no-decision for Kershaw and a potential blown save for Jansen looming large, the ever-reliable Dodger closer struck out Herrmann on three pitches to notch his 19th save in 19 tries and secure Kershaw’s MLB-best 13th win.

There was never a doubt, right? (Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

Once again, all is well in the universe.