The Los Angeles Dodgers kept their season alive in their 8-0 beatdown of the San Diego Padres in Game 4 of their NLDS series, forcing a deciding Game 5 on Friday. With their season on the line, the team dug deep and routed their opponents in their best performance in the postseason so far, breaking a franchise record in the process. Moreover, this win gave the Dodgers their largest shutout victory in franchise history, breaking their old 1965 record.

“The Dodgers' 8-0 win is the biggest margin of victory in a shutout in their postseason history,” as reported by the Dodgers Insider on X, formerly Twitter. “The previous biggest was their 7-0 in Game 5 of the 1965 World Series. Sandy Koufax went the distance in that one. Eight pitchers combined for the shutout tonight.”

NLDS Game 4: Dodgers def. Padres, series tied 2-2

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages (44) and shortstop Mookie Betts (50) celebrate with teammates after winning game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
© Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts talked about their strategy against the Padres to keep their season alive in Game 4 of the NLDS.

“It's essentially all hands on deck,” the skipper said after the game, via a report from Michael Duarte for NBC Los Angeles. “It's a bullpen game. You can't be afraid to fail. It's win or go home and that kind of fight or flight mentality. I think that mentality is the start of it. But, again, you still have to play a good baseball game. So, I feel good just kind of throwing a bunch of arms at these guys [the Padres] today, giving them different looks.”

Clearly, this strategy worked, as the Dodgers' bullpen went for nine shutout innings to set a new franchise record. Utility player Enrique Hernandez agreed, as well.

“The bullpen were the most valuable players of the game. Even though we gave them a lot of runs, they kept us in the lead and they held them down and put us in a good spot now,” he told MLB Network after the game.

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Additionally, the Dodgers' offense finally woke up after stagnant showings in the first three games. For instance, Mookie Betts was having an 0-22 slump at the plate in the playoffs, but he hit two homers to start the scoring for Games 3 and 4.

“I think I just need to see one fall and get a little confidence,” he said. “I had to get some positive vibes in me. And my team did it. And I worked hard and finally saw one fall and I think we're all right now.”

Overcoming setbacks

Impressively, the Dodgers survive to play at least one more game despite an injury to Miguel Rojas and a late-scratch for Freddie Freeman.

They had also seemed to move on from the finger-pointing for their blunders in Game 3, such as Freeman hitting Manny Machado in the helmet or Rojas' decision to try a double play instead of a force out.

However, all bets are off in Game 5, and the Dodgers will need to bring everything if they want to move on to the NLCS for the first time since 2021.