The Los Angeles Dodgers are that much closer to history.
Andy Pages came through in the biggest at-bat of his life, driving in the go-ahead runs on a bases-loaded single up the middle in the top of the seventh inning to break a tie and power LA to a decisive 4-1 win in Game 4 of the NLDS, eliminating the Atlanta Braves and punching the Dodgers' ticket to the NLCS for the third consecutive year.
For a Dodgers squad that's dealt with inconsistency over the second half of the season, thanks to a myriad of injuries and prolonged slumps from key players like Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell and outright disappointing campaigns from new additions Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz, they seem to be piecing things together at just the right time.
Ohtani was dropped
to fifth in the lineup for Game 3 after his rough start at the plate in the postseason and was moved up to the cleanup spot in Game 4. He found a way to make an impact despite his cold bat, drawing a five-pitch walk from Braves starter Tyler Mahle in the top of the second inning, stealing second base and taking third on a throwing error before scoring on another error when Mauricio Dubón dropped a pop-up from Max Muncy in shallow left field to tie the game.
The bullpen seems to be in good shape, too, picking up the slack on a night where Tyler Glasnow just didn't have his command.
The pieces seem to be lining up for the Dodgers at the right time, but what awaits them in the NLCS? That part's still up in the air.
Here's a breakdown of each possible opponent:
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers were the best team in baseball again this season and are one win away from securing a rematch of last year's League Championship Series with the Dodgers. But despite all of their regular season success against LA a year ago, the Dodgers' experience − and the two-way excellence of Ohtani − proved to be too much in October as they unceremoniously swept the Brew Crew en route to their second straight World Series trophy.
As the NL's No. 1 seed, Milwaukee would have home field advantage in the best-of-seven series.
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres have their backs against the wall and would need to win out against the Brewers to stay alive. They're another familiar face for the Dodgers, both within the division and in October. They most recently met in the postseason in the 2024 NLDS, where LA found itself down two games to one before rallying and holding the Friars scoreless over the last 24 innings of the series. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series that year, their first since 2020.
The Dodgers would keep home field advantage in this scenario.
NLCS schedule
Here's the full schedule for the NLCS:
Sunday, Oct. 11
- Game 1: Dodgers vs Padres/Brewers (Fox/FS1)
Monday, Oct. 12
- Game 2: Dodgers vs Padres/Brewers (Fox/FS1)
Wednesday, Oct. 14
- Game 3: Dodgers vs Padres/Brewers (Fox/FS1)
Thursday, Oct. 15
- Game 4: Dodgers vs Padres/Brewers (Fox/FS1)
Friday, Oct. 16
- Game 5: Dodgers vs Padres/Brewers (Fox/FS1), if necessary
Sunday, Oct. 18
- Game 6: Dodgers vs Padres/Brewers (Fox/FS1), if necessary
Monday, Oct. 19
- Game 7: Dodgers vs Padres/Brewers (Fox/FS1), if necessary
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who do the Dodgers play next in MLB playoffs? LA familiar with either NLCS opponent
