The Atlanta Braves finished with a near-identical record as the Los Angeles Dodgers this season, but the same can’t be said for the disparity in postseason experience between the clubs.
The Dodgers clinched a spot in this year’s postseason by virtue of winning a sixth consecutive NL West title. The Braves also reached October as a division champion, but it represents their first trip since 2013.
That year they were eliminated by the Dodgers in the NL Division Series. It ended in four games, which is a result the Dodgers are looking to replicate on Monday afternoon.
While they boast a wealth of postseason experience, Justin Turner put more of an emphasis on approach and results. “I think the more you get put in an environment, the more you get put in a situation, the easier it is to control your emotions and the anxiety and all that stuff that goes into it,” he acknowledged.
“But at the end of the day, you still gotta go out and play. We do have a lot of guys that do have a lot of postseason experience, and there have been a lot of conversations with some of the guys in our room who haven’t been there before.
“But you know, I talk about us being prepared and built for the playoffs to our team because we did a good job all year long of offensively staying in the strike zone, taking our walks, and as a pitching staff, we throw more strikes than anybody.”
Turner further elaborated to explain the message delivered to those on the Dodgers roster that have not yet been part of the postseason is that they are already prepared because of the club’s collective approach throughout the year.
Playing into October yet again and coming off a campaign in which they stretched the season to the last possible day, the Dodgers have spent more time on the field than arguably any other team since 2013.
It may amount to some wear and tear, but that gets blocked out. “When it gets to this point and you get to the postseason, all those aches, pains, the mental grind, that kind of goes out of the window,” Turner said.
“And you’re playing off adrenaline, and you’re seeing the prize, you’re seeing the target, keeping your eye on that. And that’s what motivates you when you’re kind of beat down, run down, is everyone in the room knows what we’re playing for.”
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