3 takeaways from the Dodgers’ NLDS Game 5 win over the Giants

Wow. I still am trying to calm myself down after that game. What a night.

In one of the more thrilling games in recent postseason memory, the Dodgers took down the Giants in Game 5 of the NLDS. After battling with each other all season, it came down to one game. Very fitting, wasn’t it?

Here are my takeaways.

Cody Bellinger and Gavin Lux are the MVP’s

Honestly, this game and series had like 10 MVP’s, but I want to focus on two. On Wednesday I wrote about how Gavin Lux has been one of LA’s best players over the last month. He was fantastic to end the season and was fantastic through the first week of October. Same goes for Cody Bellinger, who has been excellent for the Dodgers this postseason.

The Dodgers don’t win the Wild Card game without his walk before Chris Taylor hit the home run. His bases clearing double in Game 2 of the NLDS helped the Dodgers get right back into the series. Both Bellinger and Lux have been crucial up to this point.

Well, they saved the best for last night.

First off, major shoutout to Justin Turner for getting hit by that 100 mph pitch. He started the rally. He also had a pretty funny tweet to go along with it.

With a runner on first, Lux stepped up to the plate. On a 2-2 pitch, Lux singled to right field off Camilo Doval, one of the best relievers in baseball over the past month. His single will likely be forgotten in all the madness, but he passed the baton and helped set up what followed.

Bellinger stepped up to the plate with the go-ahead run at second, finding himself down 1-2 in the count. He then connected on a slider, bringing in the game-winning run.

Although he had a forgetful year, Bellinger delivered in the clutch yet again for the Dodgers in the postseason.

The check swing seen around the world

I’m thankful the Dodgers won this game and the series. I love it. I am pretty bummed it ended with controversy, though.

Wilmer Flores didn’t go. Simple as that. It was a missed call, and the game should have continued. But, that’s just baseball for you. Games are won on many other plays that happen, as Giants manager Gabe Kapler said here.

There are a number of reasons the Giants lost, not because of a missed call. Still, it sucks that the game and series had to end like that.

After the missed check swing by Darin Ruf back in July, I guess it truly has come full circle, hasn’t it?

What a series

This was awesome. What a series between two of the biggest rivals in all of sports. First off, the fact this series was only five games is still a joke. Second, the fact that this series wasn’t even the NLCS is a joke as well.

These two teams deserved more games. We as fans deserved more games. After a season of two teams going at it and finishing with historical records, it was fitting that this all came down to the final inning.

The Giants were a damn good team. And when I say that, I mean it. They were a tough out. Seeing these two teams face each other in October was truly something special and I enjoyed every second of it. Granted, easier to say after winning the series, but we all witnessed something special over the past week.