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1
How the Dodgers have fared in the NLCS, which began in 1969.
Overall record: 8-6.
2
1974
Dodgers’ Davey Lopes beats the tag of Pittsburgh Pirates’ Rennie Stennett to steal second base during Game 4 of the 1974 NLCS.
(Associated Press)
Dodgers 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 1
Game 1: Dodgers 3, at Pirates 0
Game 2: Dodgers 5, at Pirates 2
Game 3: Pirates 7, at Dodgers 0
Game 4: at Dodgers 12, Pirates 1
Recap: Don Sutton won two games and Dodgers pitchers held the Pirates to a .194 batting average. Meanwhile, Steve Garvey hit .389 with two homers.
3
1977
Dodgers 3, Philadelphia Phillies 1
Game 1: Phillies 7, at Dodgers 5
Game 2: at Dodgers 7, Phillies 1
Game 3: Dodgers 6, at Phillies 5
Game 4: Dodgers 4, at Phillies 1
MVP: Dusty Baker (.357, 2 homers, 8 RBIs)
Recap: The ninth inning of Game 3 was one for the ages. The Phillies had a 5-3 lead and seemed assured of taking a 2-1 series lead with Gene Garber on the mound. He retired the first two hitters, but pinch-hitter Vic Davalillo, noticing the infield playing well back, beat out a drag bunt to the right side. Pinch-hitter Manny Mota, behind in the count 0-2, hit a deep fly to left that Greg Luzinski misplayed for an error. He threw to second to try to get Mota, but the throw skipped away, allowing Davalillo to score and Mota to move to third. Davey Lopes followed with a hard-hit grounder to third that caromed off Mike Schmidt right to shortstop Larry Bowa, who gunned the ball to first too late. Mota scored the tying run. Garber attempted to pick Lopes off first and threw the ball away, sending Lopes to second. Bill Russell then singled Lopes home. Dodgers reliever Mike Garman retired the side in the bottom of the ninth. It was the first time since Game 4 of the 1947 World Series that the Dodgers won a postseason game when trailing going into the ninth inning. Tommy John shut down the Phillies in Game 4 during a constant rain.
4
1978
Dodgers 3, Philadelphia Phillies 1
Game 1: Dodgers 9, at Phillies 5
Game 2: Dodgers 4, at Phillies 0
Game 3: Phillies 9, at Dodgers 4
Game 4: at Dodgers 4, Phillies 3 (10)
MVP: Steve Garvey (.389, 4 homers, 7 RBIs)
Recap: With the score tied 3-3 going into the bottom of the 10th, Tug McGraw retired the first two Dodgers batters, then walked Ron Cey. Dusty Baker hit a line drive to center field that Garry Maddox, who won eight Gold Glove awards, dropped, putting runners at first and second. Bill Russell then singled, and when the ball skipped by Maddox, Cey scored easily for the winning run.
5
1981
(Rusty Kennedy / Associated Press)
Dodgers 3, Montreal Expos 2
Game 1: at Dodgers 5, Expos 2
Game 2: Expos 3, at Dodgers 0
Game 3: at Expos 4, Dodgers 1
Game 4: Dodgers 7, at Expos 1
Game 5: Dodgers 2, at Expos 1
MVP: Burt Hooton, 2-0, 0.00 ERA in 14.2 innings
Recap: With the score tied 1-1 going into the ninth inning of Game 5, Montreal brought in their ace, Steve Rogers, to pitch the ninth, and he gave up a home run to Rick Monday with two out to put the Dodgers in the lead. “I didn’t know where the heck the ball was,†Monday said. “I had to look at the outfielders to see where the ball went. I saw the two outfielders turn at the wall and then realized that it went out of the park. I almost fell down between second and third.†The Expos got two two-out walks in the bottom of the ninth off of Fernando Valenzuela, but Bob Welch came on to get the final out and send the Dodgers to the World Series.
6
1983
Philadelphia Phillies 3, Dodgers 1
Game 1: Phillies 1, at Dodgers 0
Game 2: at Dodgers 4, Phillies 1
Game 3: at Phillies 7, Dodgers 2
Game 4: at Phillies 7, Dodgers 2
MVP: Gary Matthews (.429, 3 homers, 8 RBIs)
Recap: Dodgers starting pitching failed in the final two games, with Bob Welch not lasting two innings in Game 3 and Jerry Reuss giving up three runs in the first inning of Game 4. This was the year the Phillies were known as the “Wheeze Kids†since they had so many old players on their roster, such as Joe Morgan, Pete Rose and Tony Perez.
The Dodgers and Braves will meet in the National League Championship Series for the second season in a row. Atlanta poses a considerable threat to the Dodgers.
7
1985
St. Louis Cardinals 4, Dodgers 2
Game 1: at Dodgers 4, Cardinals 1
Game 2: at Dodgers 8, Cardinals 2
Game 3: at Cardinals 4, Dodgers 2
Game 4: at Cardinals 12, Dodgers 2
Game 5: at Cardinals 3, Dodgers 2
Game 6: Cardinals 7, at Dodgers 5
MVP: Ozzie Smith (.435, walk-off homer in Game 5)
Recap: Jack Clark. Tom Niedenfuer. First base open. Home run. Season over.
8
1988
Dodgers’ Mike Scioscia is greeted by teammates and manager Tommy Lasorda after hitting a game-tying, two–run home run in the ninth inning against the New York Mets in Game 4 of the 1988 NLCS.
(Lou Requena / Associated Press)
Dodgers 4, New York Mets 3
Game 1: Mets 3, at Dodgers 2
Game 2: at Dodgers 6, Mets 3
Game 3: at Mets 8, Dodgers 4
Game 4: Dodgers 5, at Mets 4 (12)
Game 5: Dodgers 7, at Mets 4
Game 6: Mets 5, at Dodgers 1
Game 7: at Dodgers 6, Mets 0
MVP: Orel Hershiser (1-0, 1 save, 1.09 ERA in 24.2 innings)
Recap: Many, many highlights in this back-and-forth series. Dodgers closer Jay Howell caught with pine tar on his glove during Game 3 and suspended for two games. Mike Scioscia hitting a stunning two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning of Game 4 off of Dwight Gooden to tie the game. Kirk Gibson winning that game with a 12th-inning shot. Orel Hershiser coming in to save Game 4. Hershiser shutting out the Mets in Game 7 as the Dodgers defeated the heavily favored Mets, who beat the Dodgers in 10 of 11 games during the season.
9
2008
Philadelphia Phillies 4, Dodgers 1
Game 1: at Phillies 3, Dodgers 2
Game 2: at Phillies 8, Dodgers 5
Game 3: at Dodgers 7, Phillies 2
Game 4: Phillies 7, at Dodgers 5
Game 5: Phillies 5, at Dodgers 1
MVP: Cole Hamels (2-0, 1.93 ERA in 14 innings)
Recap: The Dodgers seemed to have Game 4 in hand, which would have tied the series, but Cory Wade gave up a two-run homer to Shane Victorino in the eighth to tie the score, then Jonathan Broxton gave up a two-run homer to Matt Stairs in the top of the ninth to make the Phillies the eventual winner. Rafael Furcal committed three errors in the Game 5 loss.
The Dodgers’ immense playoff experience certainly didn’t hurt during their winner-take-all Game 5 of the NLDS against the San Francisco Giants.
10
2009
Philadelphia Phillies 4, Dodgers 1
Game 1: Phillies 8, at Dodgers 6
Game 2: at Dodgers 2, Phillies 1
Game 3: at Phillies 11, Dodgers 0
Game 4: at Phillies 5, Dodgers 4
Game 5: at Phillies 10, Dodgers 4
MVP: Ryan Howard (.333, 2 homers, 8 RBIs)
Recap: Game 4 was again the Dodgers’ undoing. Leading 4-3 going into the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers had closer Jonathan Broxton on the mound, trying to get a four-out save. With runners on first and second and two out, Jimmy Rollins lined a ball into the right-field gap for a walk-off double.
11
2013
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw struggled against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 of the 2013 NLCS.
(Elsa / Getty Images)
St. Louis Cardinals 4, Dodgers 2
Game 1: at Cardinals 3, Dodgers 2 (13)
Game 2: at Cardinals 1, Dodgers 0
Game 3: at Dodgers 3, Cardinals 0
Game 4: Cardinals 4, at Dodgers 2
Game 5: at Dodgers 6, Cardinals 4
Game 6: at Cardinals 9, Dodgers 0
MVP: Michael Wacha (2-0, 0.00 ERA in 13.2 innings)
Recap: Game 6 is what started the belief that Kershaw was an ineffective postseason pitcher. He gave up three runs in the third inning and four more in the fifth as the Cardinals advanced to the World Series in a laugher.
12
2016
Chicago Cubs 4, Dodgers 2
Game 1: at Cubs 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Dodgers 1, at Cubs 0
Game 3: at Dodgers 6, Cubs 0
Game 4: Cubs 10, at Dodgers 2
Game 5: Cubs 8, at Dodgers 4
Game 6: at Cubs 5, Dodgers 0
MVP: Jon Lester (1-0, 1.38 ERA in 13 innings); Javy Baez (.368, 4 doubles, 5 RBIs)
Recap: The Cubs went 21 innings without scoring before breaking through in the fourth inning of Game 4. From that moment on, they outscored the Dodgers 23-6.
In perhaps the greatest chapter in the history of the Dodgers-Giants rivalry, the Dodgers prevail, winning an intense five-game playoff series.
13
2017
Dodgers 4, Chicago Cubs 1
Game 1: at Dodgers 5, Cubs 2
Game 2: at Dodgers 4, Cubs 1
Game 3: Dodgers 6, at Cubs 1
Game 4: at Cubs 3, Dodgers 2
Game 5: Dodgers 11, at Cubs 1
MVP: Justin Turner (6 RBIs, walk-off homer in Game 2); Chris Taylor (2 homers, 3 RBIs)
Recap: The Dodgers won in dominant fashion, with Justin Turner hitting a three-run walk-off homer in Game 2, and Kiké Hernandez hitting three home runs in the Game 5 rout.
14
2018
Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during Game 7 of the 2018 NLCS.
(Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
Dodgers 4, Milwaukee Brewers 3
Game 1: at Brewers 6, Dodgers 5
Game 2: Dodgers 4, at Brewers 3
Game 3: Brewers 4, at Dodgers 0
Game 4: at Dodgers 2, Brewers 1 (13)
Game 5: at Dodgers 5, Brewers 2
Game 6: at Brewers 7, Dodgers 2
Game 7: Dodgers 5, at Brewers 1
MVP: Cody Bellinger (1 HR, 4 RBIs)
Recap: The Dodgers won a pivotal Game 4 when Manny Machado singled, took second on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out single by Cody Bellinger. Clayton Kershaw came in to retire the side in the bottom of the ninth of Game 5 as the Dodgers won their second straight National League title, 40 years after accomplishing the feat in 1977 and 1978.
15
2020
Dodgers 4, Atlanta Braves 3
All games at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Dodgers had “home-field†advantage.
Game 1: Braves 5, Dodgers 1
Game 2: Braves 8, Dodgers 7
Game 3: Dodgers 15, Braves 3
Game 4: Braves 10, Dodgers 2
Game 5: Dodgers 7, Braves 3
Game 6: Dodgers 3, Braves 1
Game 7: Dodgers 4, Braves 3
MVP: Corey Seager (5 homers, 11 RBIs)
Recap: All games were played at the home stadium of the Texas Rangers because of the pandemic, and crowd controls limited attendance at the games to around 11,000. The Dodgers scored a record 11 runs in the first inning of Game 3, but had fallen behind, three games to one, by the time Game 5 rolled around. Dodgers catcher Will Smith homered off Braves reliever Will Smith to give the Dodgers the lead in the sixth inning of Game 5. In the fourth inning of Game 7, Tony Gonsolin walked the first two batters and gave up an RBI single to Austin Riley to put the Braves in the lead. With runners on second and third and nobody out, Justin Turner fielded a Nick Markakis ground ball and threw home to prevent Dansby Swanson from scoring. In the ensuing rundown, Turner dove, tagged Swanson on the shoe and scrambled to his knees to throw out Riley, who was trying to advance to third. Mookie Betts made a game-saving catch, robbing Freddie Freeman of a home run in the fifth inning. Cody Bellinger gave the Dodgers their first lead with a homer off Chris Martin in the seventh. Julio UrÃas pitched the last three innings to pick up the win.
A look at the postseason history between the Dodgers and the Braves.
