ANDY PAGES JUST SENT THE BRAVES HOME!
The same young outfielder who endured a miserable postseason in 2025 stepped to the plate with two outs, the bases loaded, and the game tied in the seventh inning.
Well, well, well. Look who's moving on!
For all the hand-wringing, second-guessing, and predictions of impending doom, the Los Angeles Dodgers just did what championship teams are supposed to do. They found a way to win when it mattered most.
The Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 Wednesday night, winning the National League Division Series three games to one and advancing to their third consecutive NLCS.
And the hero? Andy Pages!
Yes, THAT Andy Pages!
The same young outfielder who endured a miserable postseason in 2025 stepped to the plate with two outs, the bases loaded, and the game tied in the seventh inning.
Full count. Maximum pressure. Season on the line for Atlanta.
Pages delivered a two-run single off Robert Suarez, breaking a 1-1 tie and sending the Dodgers toward the NLCS.
It was also the Dodgers' FIRST hit with runners in scoring position in the entire series.
Talk about timing!
It Wasn't Pretty, But It Was Beautiful
Tyler Glasnow didn't exactly look like Sandy Koufax. He walked five batters in 4⅔ innings, but despite his command issues, he allowed only one run.
Atlanta scored in the first inning when Michael Harris II came home on a wild pitch. The Dodgers tied it in the second when Shohei Ohtani scored on an Atlanta throwing error.
For the next several innings, it was a pitchers' duel with both teams searching for a breakthrough.
Then came the seventh.
Teoscar Hernández started the rally with a single. The Dodgers eventually loaded the bases, bringing Pages to the plate.
And the kid delivered.
Suddenly, the Dodgers had a 3-1 lead.
Max Muncy, who apparently believes October was invented for him, added a solo home run in the ninth. It was his third homer of this postseason and the 19th postseason home run of his career, extending his Dodgers franchise record.
The final score was 4-1, but it felt considerably bigger than that.
Let's Talk About the Pitching
Glasnow wasn't sharp, but he battled.
Edgardo Henriquez was terrific out of the bullpen, pitching 1⅔ scoreless innings and earning the win. The bullpen continued to hold Atlanta in check, and Edwin Díaz recorded his second save of the series.
Consider this: The Braves scored just eight runs in four games.
Atlanta finished the series an astonishing 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position.
You can complain about the Dodgers' offensive inconsistency, but their pitching just shut down one of baseball's dangerous lineups.
That is how postseason baseball is won.
What About Dave Roberts?
Here we go again!
Every time the Dodgers lose, there are calls to fire Roberts. His lineup construction is questioned, his bullpen decisions dissected, and his baseball intelligence challenged.
Then the Dodgers win another postseason series.
Funny how that works.
Roberts moved Shohei Ohtani around the batting order. He managed a pitching staff that wasn't always operating at full strength. He trusted his players, including Pages.
And his team advanced.
Does Roberts make mistakes? Absolutely. Every manager does.
But maybe, just maybe, the guy who keeps taking his teams deep into October knows a little something about managing a baseball team. Very likely more than YOU... and ME!
I know that's a radical concept for some Dodger fans.
The Andy Pages Redemption Tour
This may be my favorite storyline of the night.
Pages was dreadful in the 2025 postseason. There is no reason to sugarcoat it.
But development isn't linear. Young players struggle. They learn. They adapt. Some eventually become the very players who deliver when the lights are brightest.
Tonight, Pages wasn't a liability.
He was the difference.
His two-run single was the kind of hit people remember long after the box score has been forgotten.
And at LADT, where we spend considerable time discussing prospects and player development, it was another reminder that patience can be rewarded.
Imagine that!
Take it away... Jeff!
The Elephant in the Room: Shohei Ohtani
The Dodgers just eliminated Atlanta without getting anything close to the offensive production they normally expect from Shohei Ohtani.
He scored a run tonight, but went hitless.
Dave Roberts has already moved him to three different positions in the batting order during this postseason.
Clearly, something isn't quite right.
But here's the scary part for the rest of baseball: The Dodgers are advancing while their most talented offensive player is struggling.
If Ohtani gets healthy and finds his swing, this lineup could become considerably more dangerous.
Of course, the Dodgers cannot simply assume that will happen. They need better at-bats from several players.
Winning doesn't eliminate the need for improvement.
Remember August?
Atlanta swept the Dodgers during the regular season in August.
Some fans treated that as a preview of the postseason.
Well, here's your preview:
Dodgers 3. Braves 1. Series over.
The regular season tells you something about a team's quality. It doesn't tell you who will win a short postseason series.
The 1988 Dodgers demonstrated that against the Mets.
These Dodgers just delivered another reminder.
Four More Wins!
The Dodgers are now four victories away from returning to the World Series.
They will face the winner of the Milwaukee Brewers-San Diego Padres series. I am more afraid of the Padres than the Brewers.
Why?
Simply because it would be more humiliating to lose to the Padres!
Are the Dodgers perfect? Not even close.
Their offense has been inconsistent. Glasnow's command was shaky tonight. Ohtani isn't himself. There are still reasons for concern.
But they have starting pitching, bullpen weapons, championship experience, and players capable of delivering in big moments.
Most importantly, they are still playing baseball.
Atlanta isn't.
The Dodgers have now reached the NLCS for the third consecutive season, and the dream of three straight World Series championships is alive.
The Braves have tee times. The Dodgers have another series to play.
And that, my friends, is the only October statistic that matters tonight.
What say you, LADT?
Is Andy Pages turning the corner as a postseason performer? Are you concerned about Ohtani? And has Dave Roberts earned a little more respect, or will some fans demand his firing the next time the Dodgers lose a game?
Discussion (86)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Good game by the Dodgers. Clutch hitting, great pitching. I said it yesterday if Scott and Diaz pitch like they did the last two days the Dodgers will be tough to beat even if the offense is struggling. Ohtani looks great on the bases, moving fast and quick, showing no effects of an injury but something in his body surley is not right and it shows at his at bats. Lets just hope he can overcome it fast or other guys are picking up the slack. Good to see Pages with the big hit.
Looking ahead I see the Brewers being a huge roadblock this year. Would have loved them going to a game 5 with the Padres , then they would have had to use The Miz. Now he will open the NLCS for them at home. Skubal and The Miz, what a matchup.
One more thing about last nights game: What an at bat by JDP. Coming off the bench in that spot and working a BB vs Fuentes was great. Kid is the real deal IMHO. Lets see if they keep him on the roster for the NLCS when they probably will go with only 13 position players.
First the Braves, now the Brewers. Should be a great series--and Milwaukee has the home field advantage. (Is this because the Dodgers opted to slow-play their aging roster?) Frankly, The Miz probably has the edge.
yeah, I'll give Roberts credit for all of these moves. I don't think the decision making was entirely his, but was based on feedback from many people, but he made those moves, and they were the right ones.
I'm most excited about the amazing resurrection of Diaz. I don't ever remember someone turning it around so suddenly. He's one of the huge keys to the 3 Peat. It puts a lot of pressure on teams if they know he's there for the 9th.
Ohtani didn’t get a hit but had a crucial steal in the second inning. Give credit to Roberts for putting him in the 4th spot. As weird as it might sound, Hernández striking out on what looked like ball four allowed Ohtani to take 3rd on a bad throw to second.
Can we fire Roberts before the NLCS? We should have swept the Braves!
G1: Skubal G2: Yamamoto G3: Snell G4: Glasnow G5: Skubal G6: Yamamoto G7: All Hands On Deck
Just like in a championship fight, be prepared to go the distance, drag your opponent into deep waters, and never give up.
Good pitching beats good hitting. I'm good with scoring 3 or 4 and let the pitching do their deal. Very happy for Pages. He's still a kid and has a long career ahead of him as a hitter. Nice to see his success. Freddie Freeman should never ever have to buy a meal if his infielders are in the restaurant. He's a net. I suspect both Snell and Glasnow will work out their command issues before their next starts. Yamomoto is about as reliable as can be and Skubal seems to be having a ball being with this Dodger club. It's been nice not to have the suspense at the back end of the pen with 3 closers in Henriquez, Scott and Diaz finding it and doing their job. If they just stay away from the damn walks, they are fine. Solid defense, solid starting pitching, solid bullpen and 3 runs, works for me.
Dodgers were heavily favored against the Braves, so the result should be no real surprise. The plain fact is that the mighty Dodgers should be favored against any rival in their path....but still have an uphill path. IIRC, the oddsmakers roughly had the Dodgers as a 33% chance to win it all so one in three. Did getting past Braves move the Dodgers to a 50% chance for a three-peat? Kind of. Either they will, or they won't. As I write these words, the Rays have a one-run lead over the (possibly snake-bit) Yankees, while the Brewers and Padres are in a scoreless tie. The Pads need a win to avoid elimination. The Guardians already beat the Cinderella White Sox and now trail 2-1 in that series. I'm hoping all of these series are decided in five games while the Dodger can rest up. Big night for Pages, but let's remember how it was set up, in part, by young Josue de Paula showing his plate discipline to work a walk. Another player might have been anxious to be a hero with the bat, but JdP played it smart. So did Tucker, drawing another walk to load the bases for Pages. And how about Max? The 9th inning bomb had to be deflating for a Braves team that thought it would just need two runs to tie the score. Suddenly three runs. Diaz had a nice cushion to work with in recording the save.
Just love to see this:
Walker Buehler retired the Brewers 1-2-3 in the top of the first. He threw his three hardest pitches of the season (97+ mph). He needed just six pitches in total.
Good stuff. Team effort. Congrats on a hard-fought series win. Nothing is easy
Gotta love October Baseball. A different hero every time. Time for 2?hour’s sleep before work!!
Congratulations to Pages and Sugar Diaz. Hopefully they keep building on this. If Pages is hitting at the bottom it’s going to be tough to beat us. He had good swings all night.