The trap had been set.
asserted
trap → set → ?
Empty seats littered throughout the blistering hot ballpark.
asserted
seats → litter → ballpark
The Dodgers entered this October trying to keep a narrowed focus amid their quest for a World Series three-peat.
asserted
Dodgers → enter → peat
They talked of ignoring the bigger historical stakes and suffocating outside expectations.
asserted
They → talk → stakes
In Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday, that mindset was tested.
asserted
mindset → test → Saturday
On paper, Saturday was always a matchup the Dodgers should have won.
asserted
Dodgers → win → paper
They had a reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner on the mound in Tarik Skubal.
asserted
They → have → Skubal
They were facing a Braves team that was forced to grind through a three-game wild-card series against the Philadelphia Phillies this week –– while the Dodgers were enjoying a first-round bye –– and had no choice but to run a bullpen game in the best-of-five series opener.
asserted
Dodgers → face → opener
Still, danger loomed.
Would their hitters still be in rhythm after their extended pre-NLDS pause?
asserted
hitters → loom → pause
Would Skubal hold up during the hottest Dodger Stadium playoff game since the 2017 World Series?
asserted
Skubal → hold → Series
Would they be able to immediately flip the switch in search of a third-straight title?
asserted
they → flip → title
Teoscar Hernández produced his latest October highlight by crushing a two-run homer to open the scoring in the fourth.
asserted
Hernández → produce → fourth
And the Dodgers pulled away late behind more big flies from Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy.
asserted
Dodgers → pull → Tucker
But already, the two-time defending champions passed their first big test of this postseason trek, side-stepping a potential trap game to strike first in the NLDS.
asserted
champions → defend → NLDS
Playing before a generously listed crowd of just 50,194 (the Dodgers’ smallest for a playoff game since 2016), it did take the club a few innings to find its way.
asserted
it → play → way
Skubal’s command wasn’t crisp in the top of the first, as he worked around a leadoff single from Drake Baldwin by ultimately stranding him at second.
asserted
he → work → second
The Dodgers’ lineup couldn’t get a bead on left-handed Braves opener Dylan Dodd, who gave the Braves three scoreless frames on a season-high 47 pitches.
asserted
who → get → pitches
A slow start –– before a two-batter sequence in the bottom of the fourth that swung the game.
asserted
that → swing → game
With Braves right-hander Victor Mederos on the mound, Freddie Freeman drew a four-pitch walk with one out in the inning.
asserted
Freeman → draw → inning
Then, Hernández stepped up to the plate and got a 1-1 cutter right down the middle.
asserted
Hernández → step → middle
The 431-foot drive was such a no-doubt home run, Hernández watched it all the way from the left-handed batter’s box, then flung his bat almost all the way back to the dugout with an authoritative underhand toss.
asserted
Hernández → watch → toss
For a moment, the 2-0 lead felt almost insurmountable.
asserted
lead → feel → moment
Skubal was looking so dominant –– retiring 15 batters in a row after Baldwin’s game-opening single –– a group of fans in the left-field pavilion passed the time in the top of the fifth by doing an impromptu roll call (Yankee Stadium-style) for all the Dodgers fielders on defense.
asserted
group → look → defense
Alas, trouble would arise in the sixth.
asserted
trouble → arise → sixth
Braves catcher Sean Murphy jumped on an elevated two-strike sinker to send a leadoff home run to center.
asserted
Murphy → jump → center
Walks to light-hitting No. 9 hitter Ha-Seong Kim and infielder Ozzie Albies followed later in the inning, prompting a mound visit from pitching coach Mark Prior as the Dodgers’ bullpen began to stir.
asserted
bullpen → hit → Prior
The Dodgers, however, acquired Skubal at the trade deadline for moments like this.
asserted
Dodgers → acquire → this
And even with the Braves’ best hitter, first baseman Matt Olson, at the plate, the superstar left-hander didn’t waver, getting Olson to fly out to left field to cap off his 94-pitch start.
asserted
Olson → waver → start
An inning later, the Dodgers would pull away.
asserted
Dodgers → pull → ?
After hitting just five home runs in the entire regular season at Dodger Stadium, Tucker continued his recent turnaround by launching a two-run blast to right off AJ Smith-Shawver.
asserted
Tucker → hit → Shawver
Two batters later, Muncy also left the yard, padding his lead as the Dodgers’ all-time postseason home run leader with the 17th long ball of his October career.
asserted
Muncy → leave → career
Leading 5-1 at that point, the Dodgers turned to the bullpen.
asserted
Dodgers → lead → bullpen
Brock Stewart and Alex Vesia provided a couple perfect innings in the seventh and eighth.
asserted
Stewart → provide → seventh
Tanner Scott then created a brief scare in the ninth, giving up a two-run homer to Ozzie Albies, before settling down with a couple groundouts and turning things over to Evan Phillips for the final out.
asserted
Scott → create → out
In the end, despite the heat and the bye-week and the trap-game circumstances, the Dodgers prevailed.
asserted
Dodgers → prevail → heat
It was a decisive first step toward adding to their dynasty.
asserted
It → add → dynasty
In the days and weeks to come, they are confident more will follow.
asserted
more → come → days
The Aporia
