The playoffs might come around every year for the Dodgers. They have not come around every year for the 25 men currently representing the Dodgers.
Of the nine players in the starting lineup Tuesday, Yasiel Puig was the only one who has played on each one of the Dodgers’ six consecutive division championship teams. The three players in the heart of the order were not even here when this season started.
David Freese, batting third, came over from the Pittsburgh Pirates in August. Manny Machado, batting fourth, came over from the Baltimore Orioles in July. Brian Dozier, batting fifth, came over from the Minnesota Twins in July.
Freese forever will be an October hero, as any fan of the St. Louis Cardinals can and almost certainly will tell you. The Orioles were wretched this year, but Machado has been playing long enough that he once hit a postseason home run for them, off Hiroki Kuroda.
Dozier, well, the story was a little different. The Dodgers would extend him an opportunity at October glory.
He played 851 games in the major leagues, all with the Twins, before getting his first postseason shot last October.
The Twins earned a wild-card spot, against the New York Yankees. Dozier led off the game with a home run. The Twins scored three runs in the first inning, and this postseason thing was working out pretty well.
The Yankees roared back to win 8-4. The Twins went one and done. At that point, Dozier’s six-year major league career featured four postseason at-bats.
The Twins were surprisingly good last year, surprisingly bad this year. The Dodgers grabbed him at the July 31 trade deadline, and he was so happy to get another shot at October that he flew from Minnesota to Los Angeles that very afternoon and headed immediately to Dodger Stadium.
As he rode to the ballpark, he was astonished at how many text messages he had received from friends and family back home.
“When you say Dodgers to people in Mississippi, it’s a pretty big deal,” Dozier said that night.
He hustled into the stadium, and into uniform, even though the game that night was almost over by the time he arrived.
“Whatever I can do to help this ballclub win and get to the postseason and have a chance to win the World Series, I’m all for it,” Dozier said then.
He started Aug. 1. He hit a home run.
He started Aug. 2. He hit a home run.
He played another 44 games through the end of the regular season. He hit three more home runs, and batted .182 for the Dodgers.
By that point, the phrase “the big, complementary, right-handed bat acquired by the Dodgers this summer” referred to Freese, not Dozier.
On the second weekend of September, Dozier quietly explained why.
“It’s been a struggle,” he said. “I’ve had a knee issue since the beginning of the year.”
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Dodgers Manny Machado scores the winning run off of Cody Bellinger’s single in the 13th inning against the Brewers in Game 4 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium Tuesday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 2/38
Teammates mob Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger after he hit the game winning RBI in the 13th inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 3/38
Dodgers Manny Machado rounds 3rd base to score the winning run off of Cody Bellinger’s single in the 13th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 4/38
Cody Bellinger recoils after a dousing of gatorade after hitting the game winning single to beat the Brewers 2-1 in 13 innings.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 5/38
Teammates mob Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger after he hit the game winning RBI in the 13th inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 6/38
Dodgers Cody Bellinger celebrates his game-winning RBI against the Brewers in the 13th inning.
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Dodgers Cody Bellinger celebrates with Chris Taylor after driving in the winning run n the 13th inning of game 4 between Dodgers and Brewers.
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Dodgers Manny Machado scores the winning run off of Cody Bellinger’s single in the 13th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 9/38
Dodgers Cody Bellinger hits the game-winning RBI against the Brewers in the 13th inning.
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Dodgers Cody Bellinger hits the game-winning RBI against the Brewers in the 13th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 11/38
Manny Machado and Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar confront each other after a 10th inning groundout.
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Dodgers Manny Machado has to be held back by 1st base coach George Lombard after an argument with Brewers 1st baseman Jesus Aguilar.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 13/38
Dodgers Brian Dozier is upset after striking out in the bottom of the 10th inning.
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Kenley Jansen and Austin Barnes consult each other during ninth inning action.
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Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger makes a diving catch on a hit by Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain in the ninth inning.
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Dodgers Justin Turner throws out Brewers Orlando Arcia in the 9th inning.
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A fan almost interferes as Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Christian Yelich (22) tries to catch a foul ball hit by Dodgers Brian Dozier in the eighth inning.
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Dodgers pitcher Kenley Jansen rushes to field a short hit ball and throw out Brewers second baseman Jonathan Schoop in the ninth inning.
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Dodgers pinch-hitter Matt Kemp is tagged by Brewers catcher Erik Kratz during a strike out in the 8th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 20/38
Dodgers Chris Taylor makes a catch in front of Cody Bellinger in the 7th inning.
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Leftfielder Chris Taylor slides to catch a sixth inning drive by Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia.
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Dodgers Brian Dozier is tagged out by Brewers second baseman Jonathan Schoop on a sixth inning steal attempt.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 23/38
Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado argues with umpire Hunter Wendelstedt after striking out in the fifth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 24/38
Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia is safe at home on a double by Domingo Santana and a late throw to Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes in the fifth inning.
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Brewers Orlando Arcia scores a run in fornt of Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes on a double by Domingo Santana in the 5th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 26/38
Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill reacts after striking out Christian Yelich to end the fifth inning.
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Dodgers 2nd baseman Brian Dozier completes the double play in front of Brewers base runner Jesus Aguilar in the 4th inning.
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Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy is called-out on strikes with the bases loaded against Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta in the second inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 29/38
Rich Hill yells out at teammate Justin Turner afte the third baseman made a diving stop of a drive by Brewers hitter Ryan Braun in the third inning.
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Dodgers Brian Dozier steals second base on a late throw to Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Jonathan Schoop in the third inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 31/38
Brewers istarter Gio Gonzalez is consoled by teammate Mike Moustakas as he is being pulled from the game in the second inning after being hit by a Yasiel Puig liner.
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Dodgers baserunner Chris Taylor dives ahead of a second inning pickoff attempt from Brewers catcher Manny Pina to shortstop Orlando Arcia.
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Dodgers outfielder Chris Taylor scores a first inning run on a Brian Dozier single off Milwaukee Brewers starter Gio Gonzalez.
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Dodgers Joc Pederson celebrates as he swings a towel after an RBI single by Brain Dozier.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 35/38
Fans cheer as Dodgers’ Brian Dozier runs to first after hitting an RBI single in the first inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 36/38
Dodgers’ Chris Taylor scores a run against the on an RBI single from Brian Dozier in the first inning.
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Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill throws a pitch to the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 38/38
Dodgers host the Milwaukee Brewers for Game 4 of the National League Championship Series under the lights of Dodger Stadium and downtown.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) In April, Dozier suffered a bone bruise to his right knee. The Twins reported then that an MRI examination had ruled out structural damage. The soreness had remained, Dozier said, and the inability to swing freely had compromised his swing.
“If one side of your leg is not working, find a way to use your other side,” he said. “That’s just my mentality.”
Dozier said he was healthy enough to play. He said neither the Twins nor the Dodgers had suggested a stint on the 10-day disabled list, and he said he would not have taken either team up on the suggestion.
“That’s not me,” he said. “I’ve never been on the DL. I hope to not ever be. My mentality has always been, you can still be productive if you’re not 100%. I’m still trying to find ways to be productive.”
He limped to the end of the regular season, with the Dodgers affording him every opportunity to at least play second base against left-handers.
They included him on the playoff roster. He did not start in the first round, even when the Dodgers faced a left-hander. He did not start in the first three games of this series, even when the Dodgers faced a left-hander.
But, faced with a need for offense, the Dodgers started Dozier on Tuesday, his first start in 16 days.
They batted him fifth, the highest they had put him in their starting lineup since Sept. 9.
“In batting practice, and in the limited at-bats Dozier has had,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “I see some good things from his at-bats, and swinging at strikes and taking balls.”
In the very first inning, Dozier singled home Chris Taylor. On the night after the Dodgers went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, Dozier went one for one. That was the only run the Dodgers scored in the regulation nine innings.
In the third inning, he walked. In the fifth, he was hit by a pitch.
In the eighth, he reached base on a force play. He represented the potential winning run, and he took third base on a single by Cody Bellinger. But Matt Kemp struck out to end the inning.
bill.shaikin@latimes.com
Follow Bill Shaikin on Twitter @BillShaikin
