LOS ANGELES — In the shadows of Hollywood, where stars are born, dreams are made, and the outrageous becomes conceivable, say hello to that baseball team that could out of Atlanta.
Let’s be honest, no one gave Atlanta a prayer against the mighty and powerful Los Angeles Dodgers in this National League Division Series.
It was supposed to be a glorified bye for the Dodgers, who just 48 hours ago, were talking about setting up their starting rotation for the National League Championship Series.
Now, they’re not even guaranteed playing another game at Dodger Stadium.
Atlanta, made the decision to give 37-year-old Cy Young winner Chris Sale ample rest and go with a bullpen game for the third consecutive contest, facing two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell.
Atlanta started 32-year-old rookie Ray Kerr, who was in the foster care system as a kid. He worked at the local 7-Eleven and cleaned movie theaters to make ends meet as a junior college player in Reno. They used 21-year-old Didier Fuentes, the youngest pitcher in baseball, to retire 11 consecutive batters – the longest streak by a reliever that young in postseason history. And they relied on Atlanta native Michael Harris II to provide the offense, who singled, doubled, tripled, scored and drove in a run.
When the evening ended, Atlanta had a 3-2 victory at Dodger Stadium, and they headed back to their Beverly Hills hotel with a flight back home Monday, leading this best-of-five National League Division Series at 1-1.
Well, technically the series is tied, but with a rested Sale – who shut out the Dodgers in August – ready to pitch Game 3, and Tyle Mahle, who has been baseball’s biggest trade deadline acquisition (4-1, 1.99 ERA) scheduled in Game 4, no wonder they feel like they’re leading the series.
Certainly, no one in the Atlanta clubhouse dared to say they were in the driver’s seat, knowing that World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamato is lined up to pitch Game 3 for the Dodgers, with Tyler Glasnow in Game 4 and two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal for a potential Game 5.
The Dodgers are the two-time defending World Series champions for a reason.
Yet, all of a sudden, they appear a bit vulnerable.
“We’re feeling pretty good," Atlanta DH Rowdy Tellez tells USA TODAY Sports. “It’s big getting the split here and going back to our place. We know we’re going to be facing Yamamoto, so to have our best counterpart go against counterpoint, I think is going to be good for us. We also saw a lot of their pitchers, so that puts us in a good spot."
Says outfielder Mike Yastrzemski: “I think in a realistic world, coming in there and leaving at 1-1, was a really good scenario for us to be able to take that home. This is not an easy place to play, especially in the playoffs, and it’s not an easy team to beat. So, to leave here 1-1 and have Sale going is awesome. It’s nice that he got rest, too."
After throwing 24 pitches in relief on Thursday, Atlanta wanted a fresh, well-rested Sale, for Game 3, gambling it would work.
It worked, just like a Hollywood script, with Weiss purposely holding back his top leverage relievers for Sunday once they were losing Game 1.
“I think losing the way we did [Saturday]," Weiss said, “allowed us to do what we did tonight and gain the split."
But, of course, who knew that it would be as simple as Fuentes entering the game in the sixth inning, and watching him come within one out of closing it out. He was one strike away from completing the four-out save before giving up a home run to Max Muncy before Raisel Iglesias stepped in for the final out, getting Josue De Paula to pop out.
“It wasn't the plan, believe me," Weiss said. “When I went to him in the sixth, I was thinking I've got to get the last four innings between him and Iglesias. To be honest with you, I thought it would probably be most likely two and two, but Didi was throwing the ball so well, I didn't want to mess with that. He was throwing the ball really well. ... I don't want to get in the way of a good thing."
Fuentes said when he became the fifth Atlanta pitcher in the game, he had no idea how long he’d go. He was just going to keep on pitching until someone told him to stop.
“It was super emotional, very exciting, against the Dodgers no less," he said. “It’s been nice to be able to gain that confidence throughout the whole season, and just gain that experience as well. The message stays the same. Whenever you need me, just let me know, and I’ll do whatever the team needs."
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The Dodgers were trying to tell themselves in the clubhouse before leaving for Atlanta that at least they’ve seen all of Atlanta’s relievers in the first two games. They not only have all of the scouting reports, but they’ve seen the pitchers with their own eyes.
Now, they just have to execute.
“We need to get going offensively," said Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts. “It’s not going to be easy, but I mean we knew that from the beginning. We know it’s going to be a tough matchup, no matter who’s on the mound."
The Dodgers know they just need to win one game in Atlanta to assure that at the least, the series returns to Dodger Stadium, where two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal would pitch in Game after dominating Atlanta in the series opener.
“Look, we've got to face more Cy Young Award winners for them," Weiss said. “Every starter on their staff is a Cy Young guy. It doesn't get any easier, but I like the fact that we go back home even and we have Chris Sale.
“We're in a good position."
And, yes, besides Sale and Mahle scheduled the next two games, they also have Kerr.
Kerr, who helped Atlanta beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the wild-card round by starting and pitching 3 ½ shutout innings in their deciding Game 3, stepped up again and delivered.
“Ray Kerr is amazing, man," Weiss said. “He did it again for us, just amazing. There always seems to be some unsung heroes in the postseason. Ray's definitely one of them.’’
Said Kerr: “You know, it’s been fun, it’s very exciting, and like overnight I’ve got like a thousand followers on Instagram. So, I’m getting used to it. I’m just going to be myself.’’
But if Atlanta can pull off this stunning upset, stopping the Dodgers from becoming only the third franchise to win three consecutive World Series, their entire team will be remembered forever.
Hollywood awaits.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Atlanta's Cy Young gambit pays off with sucker punch to Dodgers in NLDS
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