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A year after blowing a 3-1 series advantage in the 2020 NLCS, the Atlanta Braves got sweet revenge last season as they eliminated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2021 NLCS to advance to the World Series.
The NLCS defeat for the Dodgers sure had plenty of what-ifs across the board, from questionable managerial decisions to sluggish play from some of their All-Star talents in the lineup. When Dodgers manager Dave Roberts looks back on the series loss to the eventual World Series champions, he sees that his team was simply “gassed” at that point in the postseason.
“We were gassed,” Roberts said on Thursday. “Having to play tooth and nail to ultimately concede the division to the Giants — which they earned it — and then to play a one-game, do-or-die (wild-card game) to find a way to win a game.
“Then to go up to the Bay and play five games and then to go on the road and play Atlanta. We were gassed. No excuses. We lost to a better team, playing better.”
Unlike in previous seasons, the Dodgers had to take a longer route to the NLCS. As Roberts touched on, the Dodgers battled with the St. Louis Cardinals in a tense-filled NL wild-card clash and subsequently faced off against the San Francisco Giants in a thrilling five-game series in the NLDS.
The Dodgers' NLCS encounter with the Braves did not go as expected, from Max Scherzer recording a mere 4.1 innings pitched to both Max Muncy and Clayton Kershaw missing the entirety of the series due to their respective injuries.
Still, as Roberts further added, this all sure does not take away from what the Braves accomplished over the course of the NLCS. From timely hits in crucial situations to formidable production from their bullpen, it was an all-around effort from the Braves in their triumphant NLCS win over the NL West powerhouse.
In the big picture, the Dodgers are slated to once again be in a hectic NL West title race, with the Giants and San Diego Padres projected to be stern contenders in the division over the upcoming season.
