After sweeping an overmatched Milwaukee Brewers team in the Wild Card round, the Los Angeles Dodgers figured to face a more formidable challenge in the San Diego Padres during the National League Division Series.
The best-of-five was played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and by sweeping their first series and the Padres needing three games to eliminate the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers spent a handful of days in the MLB postseason bubble before the NLDS began.
It afforded them an opportunity to hold multiple workouts at the Texas Rangers’ home ballpark. Prior to their first one, Justin Turner and Mookie Betts addressed the team.
“Me and Mook had talked about it leading up to it. Just address the team, make sure everyone is on the same page,” Turner said of the message they delivered.
“It’s obvious we all know what’s at stake and what we’re playing for, but just to remind guys not everything is always going to go our way, it might not always be easy, but as long as we keep mentally grinding, support each other and play as a group together, we’ll get through anything.”
Their words were well received, as the Dodgers went on to sweep the Padres — albeit in a competitive NLDS — to set a matchup with the Atlanta Braves. L.A. is in the NL Championship Series a fourth time in the past five years, and they of course are looking to win their first World Series since 1988.
They are convinced this year’s roster is the most talented and best suited for the postseason since beginning a franchise-record streak of eight consecutive NL West titles in 2013. Of course, that same confidence has been expressed in the past.
Turner believes in Dodgers lineup
The Dodgers led the Majors with 118 home runs during the regular season, but have only slugged two thus far in five playoff games. “These guys understand the process and understand how to take a quality at-bat, understand how to work an at-bat better than they ever have,” Turner said.
“I think you’re seeing it on a nightly basis. One of the things I always say about our offense is it’s not about us getting 15 hits and scoring a bunch of runs. It’s taking our walks. Usually when we have as many walks as hits, or more walks than hits, that’s when our offense is really clicking on all cylinders.
“A lot has been said about us this year leading the NL in home runs and whatnot, and we hit a lot of homers, but you look at the offense in this last series, one homer and maybe only two in the whole postseason. We’re not a one-track offense. We can score runs in a ton of different ways. If the ball happens to go over the fence, we’ll take that too.”
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