October 14th, 2016 at 10:49 am 
by Ron Cervenka Perhaps Dodgers broadcaster Charlie Steiner summed it up best about Thursday night’s historic National League Division Series Game-5 between the Dodgers and the Washington Nationals:
“There may have been postseason games as good as this one but there haven’t been any that were better.”
Steiner isn’t the only one who appreciated the greatness of Thursday’s exciting 4-3 Dodgers win to clinch the best-of-five Division Series. In fact, one of the many live tweets posted during this insanely intense, heart-stopping, 4 hour 32 minute emotional roller coaster ride also summed it up pretty good:
Okay I admit it, I’m the author of that tweet, but as you can see, it received quite a few Likes and Retweets for those who also concurred with Steiner’s and my sentiments. I also admit that I authored Thursday’s pregame article ‘All Hands on Deck’ here on ThinkBlueLA.com.
I’m not gloating or pulling the old ‘I told you so’ thing (okay … maybe a little), but the simple truth is that there was never a doubt – none whatsoever – that every player on the Dodgers 25-man NLDS roster was indeed ‘on deck,’ even though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts adamantly insisted that left-hander Clayton Kershaw was not:
I’m not going to go into the finer details or recap the game, Heaven knows you can find those anywhere. Instead, here are some significant highlights of this historic game.
- Dodgers rookie left-hander Julio Urias became the youngest pitcher in baseball history to win a playoff game at 20 years, 60 days old. He beat out former Dodger lefty Odalis Perez, who was 20 years, 112 days old when he won a game in relief for the Atlanta Braves during the 1998 NLDS.
- Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen, who entered the game with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning and remained there until issuing two one-out walks in the bottom of the ninth while protecting a precarious 4-3 lead, made a total of 51 pitched – the most he has ever thrown in his seven-year MLB career. Left-hander Rich Hill, who started the game for the Dodgers, made a total of 55 pitches.
Although Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen needed help from Clayton Kershaw to clinch the 2016 NLDS, his 2.1 innings of scoreless relief on 51 pitches can only be described at gutsy.
(Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)
- Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw relieved Jansen with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning and got Nationals second baseman (and Dodger-killer) Daniel Murphy to pop out to second baseman Charlie Culberson and struck out Nationals pinch-hitter Wilmer Difo on five pitches. It was Kershaw’s first career major league save and first relief appearance since Game 5 of 2009 NLCS. It was also his fist save at any level since August 8, 2006 while with the Gulf Coast Rookie League Dodgers. His catcher that day was Kenley Jansen.
- Dodgers right-handed reliever Joe Blanton, who pitched 1.1 scoreless/hitless innings on Thursday night, appeared in four of the five Division Series games for the Dodgers, allowing no runs and only one hit in 5.0 innings of work while striking out five and walking one. He was credited with the win in Game-4.
- Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig was the only position player who did not appear in the Game-5 clincher. It was evident that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was planning to use him should the game go into extra innings. It did not. Puig went 0-for-5 with three walks and two strikeouts in the series.
- Although Nationals manager Dusty Baker is widely known and respected as a very good manager (he was NL Manager of the Year in 1993, 1997 and 2000 – all with the San Francisco Giants), he is also known for for not managing his bullpens well. (Who can forget the infamous Game Ball episode in Game-6 of the 2002 World Series?). Yet after Thursday’s game, Baker criticized Dodgers manager Dave Roberts for what he considered a misuse of both Kenley Jansen and Clayton Kershaw. “I’d be interested to see – they won the war but the effects of Jansen and Kershaw when they get to Chicago,” Baker told reporters after his team was eliminated from the postseason. “It’s not a trend that I’d like to be a part of anytime.” Sounds like sour grapes to me.
- Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson‘s leadoff solo home run in the top of the seventh inning was only the fifth hit allowed by Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer. It was also his last.
- Pederson’s home run was the first of four runs that the Dodgers would score in the seventh inning. They did not score again after that.
- Dodgers backup catcher Carlos Ruiz came up with his second huge pinch hit of the series on Thursday night with an RBI single to left field off of Nats left-hander Sammy Solis scoring pinch-runner Austin Barnes from second base. Ruiz hit a two-run pinch-hit home run off of left-hander Gio Gonzalez in Game-3 of the series. Ruiz went 2-for-4 (.500) with three RBIs in the series.
- Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner helped his pending free agency cause significantly with a huge two-RBI triple in the seventh inning (but you already knew that) off of Nationals right-hander Shawn Kelley. It was Turner’s first career postseason triple and his sixth hit of the series. He finished the series going 6-for-15 (.400) with one home run, one triple and five RBIs. Kelley was removed from the game after Turner’s triple for what was described as lost feeling in his fingers. “I have unfortunately felt that before. I was pretty confident there wasn’t any damage to my ligament or anything,” said Kelley. “It’s tough to go on when you only have feeling in two fingers. And scary at the same time.” The 32-year-old Kelley has already had two Tommy John surgeries.
Justin Turner’s two-RBI triple in the seventh inning was the biggest of the Dodgers’ eight hits on the night against the Nationals. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)
- Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez had what was arguably the best quote of the night: “How bout that pick off move … he picked me off,” AGon said of Julio Urias’ enormously huge pick off of Bryce Harper in the fifth inning.
“He picked me off!” said Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez of Julio Urias’ pickoff of Nationals slugger (and speedster) Bryce Harper. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)
- ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian called Thursday night’s game “…one of the greatest games I have ever seen.”
For those fortunate enough to have watched Thursday night’s exciting game and those even more fortunate to have actually been there, it’s hard – if not impossible – to disagree with Tim Kurkjian’s assessment.
On to Chicago!
Posted in 
no question about!!!
I loved everything that game offered.
Dave Roberts=STUD!
no, Seattle vs NYY game five 1995 check it out on u tube. No comparison
Perfect recap of the game. It was like a horror movie for those of us that scare easily – kept my hands in front of my face and just inched my fingers to let me peek when we were on defense. Probably the “scariest” and best game I’ve ever seen.
For me the seventh game of the 1955 WS was the best postseason game ever. I am of course discounting all those games that did not involve the Dodgers as I have simply forgotten those. Also it is very difficult to be subjective in answering the question and to quantify games in different eras.
Thursday’s game was indeed a classic in every sense of the word. Clayton certainly got that monkey off his back while the 1955 Dodgers got a lifetime of monkeys off their backs.
You’re in good company, Harold – that was Vin’s favorite game of all time too.
I hope you realize that the title and text of this article was intended to spark some friendly debate and not intended as a poll. It goes without saying – at least it should – that choosing a favorite postseason game is, of course, time (or era) relative.
Being that I was not quite two years old for the ’55 WS (and not yet cognizant of what a Dodger even was), my first favorite postseason game was, as you know, Game-3 of the 1963 World Series. Although Sandy got most of the accolades for that four-game sweep of the Evil Empire, and justifiably so, my all-time favorite Dodger pitched a 1-0 complete game three-hit shutout in Game-3; a game that our friend Tommy Davis considers the greatest World Series game ever played – and not just because he had the game-winning RBI.
Tommy considers it the greatest WS game ever played because in addition to Drysdale’s three hitter, Yankees right-hander Jim Bouton (who later authored the controversial book Ball Four) threw a four-hitter in his 7.0 innings of work.
The final out of the game came on a (very) deep fly ball to right field by Yankees first baseman Joe Pepitone that Dodgers right fielder Ron Fairly caught with his back against the bullpen gate. Pretty exciting stuff for a nine year old.
Gotta be right up there. 1988 WS, game 1 (somebody had to say it).
This is just the start, got 2 more series to go (yes, I’m thinking positive)
I can’t believe they’re even considering letting Kenley and JT go.
Absolutely, without question, one of the greatest Dodgers postseason games in their history.
It would be tough to beat game 6 of the 2011 World Series between the Texas Rangers and St Louis Cardinals. The Cards, down 3-2 in the series and facing elimination, were down by two in the bottom of the ninth and tied the game. Both teams then scored two runs in the 10th inning, followed by the Cards tying the series at 3-3 in the bottom of the 11th with a walk-off run. The next evening, the Cards won game 7, 6-2. That was pretty nuts…
…but what’s even more nuts is the nature with which Clayton Kershaw earned his first ever MLB save! Unreal!
JT and California Love have earned their contracts, F&Z!! Sign them!!
A few World Series memories come to mind.
Game 6, ’75 WS Red Sox-Reds, with the Carbo homer, Joe Morgan being robbed of a homer in extras by a Dwight Evans grab and then the game ending with Carlton Fisk’s pole shot. That was quite a game.
Game 6, ’86 WS Mets-Red Sox : “It’s by the bag, it get’s through Buckner, here come Knight and the Mets win it!”
But last night’s game was unconventional in the sense that Roberts was making extraordinary moves that no one expected. Moves that were shocking to so many. He took baseball back to where it was years ago before all these players were slotted into specific roles. Frankly, I loved it. And it worked. Bring on the Cubs!
I thought of you last night, Evan, when Roberts brought in Jansen during the bottom of the seventh inning. You’ve been a long-time proponent of managers using their closer in high-leverage situations as opposed to simply being the “ninth inning guy,” which is looked upon by most managers in MLB as unconventional… and last night was definitely unconventional!
One thing is absolutely certain; Don Mattingly would have never, EVER, used his pitchers the way Doc did last night because he doesn’t have the imagination to do so. His bullpen management was a huge issue during his tenure with the Dodgers, and last night was a revelation on how to do this the right way when all the chips are on the table.
Doc Roberts was a poker player last night, and he was definitely “all in!”
Good memory Kevin. I did write an article on that very topic a few years back, Just don’t know where it is…
Remember when Tommy brought in Steve Howe to get the final 11 outs in 1981? Of course in those days it was no big deal for a closer to pitch two innings plus.
If you go back and read (or re-read) my October 4 blog article entitled ‘NLDS could boil down to the better manager,’ this is exactly what happened. I’m not tooting my own horn here but I nailed it. Dave Roberts flat out smoked Dusty Baker, and he did it a number of times throughout the series.
After last nights game, I had a text message exchange with Kevin Kennedy and we both agreed that although Baker is a three-time Manager of the Year and considered by many to be a very good manager, he has never managed his bullpen well, not ever. And though he may have 21 years of managerial experience over first-year manager Dave Roberts, the rookie manager took him to school … and bad.
As for “…nobody, I mean absolutely nobody thought Clayton Kershaw would be coming in to relieve Kenley Jansen last night. At least not when the night began,” Evan will tell you that we both did. Although we did not specifically identify that it would be Kenley who Kershaw would ultimately replace, we both said that Kershaw would come in to close out the game regardless of who he replaced – even Kenley.
What I (and I assume Evan) did not expect to see was Kenley coming in with one out in the seventh inning and going 2.1 innings. That was a stroke of pure genius by Dave Roberts and why the Dodgers are moving on and Dusty Baker is going home.
And Boo-hoo to Dusty!! Poor son-of-a-gun… I love him! He’s suffered enough. Sour grapes, indeed…
And, BTW… FOX has no choice but to show the Dodgers on Prime-Time TV now, you think?!! 😎
So lets all get ready for the most one-sided, prime-time baseball broadcast in the history of televised sports! Where is dear Vin Scully when we need him most???
I sure hope Vin’s enjoying the heck out of these playoffs.
I also predict many long-time “Cubs fans,” those who’ve probably not watched a game the entire year, will suddenly pop out of the woodwork, everywhere, and from all walks of life. We need to stave off a Cubs invasion!
Without a doubt the Cubs still have 2008 on their minds.
Of course those games were great, and maybe “better” just because of their importance. I didn’t see Game 3 in 1963 because we were in school, but they had to let us watch game 7 in ’65, and for me that game stands out as the best. Koufax on two days rest for the championship. Sweet Lou Johnson. Gilliam’s game-saving play. Koufax laboring without his curveball…’F it, just blow ’em away!’ Of course, there have been quite a few since then, along with a lot of heartbreakers.
Although I don’t have the best memory, I’ll have to repeat what Tom Kurkjian said, “One of the greatest games I have ever seen”.
@Analogkid81 No! Best NLCS Game 6 NYM-Hous 1986 Best Series Cin-Bos Game 6 197 and La has played in better games bt game was g