Over the course of 18 hours and 16 minutes, the Dodgers won Game-4 and Game-5 of the 2018 National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium. But while Tuesday’s game ended up being a 13 inning / 5:15 hour 2-1 nail biter that left most Dodger fans thinking that Wednesday’s day game after a night game would be a boring low-scoring affair, it was anything but. In fact, the game ended with a final score of 5-2 and was both very exciting and historic.

In an unusual and unprecedented move, Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell pulled his starting pitcher – All-Star left-hander Wade Miley – after the eight-year MLB veteran had made exactly five pitches in the bottom of the first inning, on which he walked Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger. Counsell replaced Miley with right-hander Brandon Woodruff.

Why did the Brewers skipper make such an unusual move, you ask? The answer is twofold. The most obvious is that Counsell wanted to force Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to burn up his bench by forcing him to begin swapping out his right-handers early in the game – like five pitches into the game.

It didn’t work.

The second and more logical reason is that Counsell had it planned all along that Miley would be his Game-6 starter on Friday, when the best-of-seven series returns to Miller Park in Milwaukee. With Thursday being an off-day, Miley’s pregame preparation and five-pitch outing in Game-5 was little more than a routine bullpen session.

Obviously, whether Counsell’s second (and likely real) reason for Miley’s abbreviated start will make him a hero or a goat on Friday remains to be seen, but going up against Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu makes that goat thing a very distinct possibility

Speaking of goats, in this case the acronym for Greatest Of All Time, he was the Dodgers starting pitcher on Wednesday afternoon – future Hall of Fame left-hander Clayton Kershaw – who was not only brilliant, but historic.

For those who bought into the hype that Clayton Kershaw chokes in the postseason, you have been taken to the cleaners. He was absolutely brilliant on Wednesday afternoon. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

In his 7.0 innings pitched, Kershaw allowed only one run on three hits, while walking two and striking out nine. Along the way he accomplished this:

Those who still believe that Kershaw can’t come up big in the postseason might want to re-think that. After striking out Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the third inning, he retired every batter he faced thereafter – all 13 of them. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

The misconception that Kershaw chokes in big games, especially postseason big games, is a crock and has more to do with the lack of run support that he usually receives from his teammates when he is on the mound for them. Such was not the case on Wednesday, when his teammates provided him with five runs of support on nine hits, including two each by Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig and (wait for it…) Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner (go figure).

Puig’s RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning turned a 2-1 ballgame into a 3-1 game. He also entertained the sold out Dodger Stadium crowd of 54,502 crowd with this epic bat flip. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Although Puig did not start Game-4 on Wednesday (because of the Craig Counsell scam), he entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the sixth inning and remained in the game thereafter. By doing so, the extremely popular (and oft controversial) Dodgers outfielder also etched his name in Dodgers history.

Turner’s big hit came in the bottom of the seventh, when he lined a single to center to make it a 4-1 game.

As he has done throughout his five seasons with the Dodgers, Turner once again came up clutch in the bottom of the seventh inning with this RBI single to center. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Also coming up clutch on Wednesday were Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes, who drove in the game-tying (1-1) run in the bottom of the fifth inning, and Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy driving in the go-ahead (and eventual winning) run on an opposite field single to left, also in the sixth inning.

Max Muncy’s sixth inning opposite field single drove in the then go-ahead run to make it a 2-1 game.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

The Dodgers bullpen, which was heavily taxed in Tuesday’s 13-inning affair, showed no signs of wear and tear on Wednesday, allowing only one earned run (charged to right-hander Ryan Madson), with Dodgers All-Star closer Kenley Jansen, who pitched two innings the night before, picking up the save.

As the great Chick Hearn used to say: “This game’s in the refrigerator: the door is closed, the lights are out, the butter’s getting hard, the eggs are cooling, and the Jell-O’s jigglin’,” whenever Jansen is on the mound for the Dodgers. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

With the Dodgers now leading the 2018 NLCS three games to two, they have Friday and Saturday to win one game in Milwaukee to return to their second consecutive World Series. Game-6 is set for 5:39 p.m. PT, and Game-7 (if necessary) on Saturday at 6:09 p.m. PT.

Play Ball!