Dodgers Dugout: Dodgers-Giants in a decisive game is the way it should be

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and though my heart might not be able to take it, it seems only right that the Dodgers-Giants come down to a decisive Game 5.

—Dodger fans turned up the noise and energy for Game 4. All except the fans who sit directly behind home plate. It’s like they have an oil painting out there. The only time they move is to check their phones. Why pay all that money to sit there and be so uninterested in the game? Meanwhile, the fans who sit in the “cheap” seats (no seats are really cheap in the playoffs) stand and jump and cheer. Switch places.

—The fans everywhere else except behind home plate were great. “Playing at Dodger Stadium is unbelievable, having 50,000 almost every single night and just the energy is electric,” Trea Turner said during these playoffs. And the fact a lot of fans show up at other ballparks? “I think that’s kind of weird, traveling to other stadiums and having a good portion be rooting for you as opposed to against you,” he said. “I think that’s the one thing that kind of sticks out.”

—TBS announcer Brian Anderson thinks every fly ball is a home run. He and Ron Darling still talk too much. Even guys who have had six energy drinks go up to them and say “Hey, slow down a bit.”

—Logan Webb, who shut down the Dodgers in Game 1, will start Game 5. A note to the Dodgers: You don’t have to swing at every changeup he throws.

—This is the great part of baseball. Does Webb continue throwing changeups since it worked so well in Game 1? Does he anticipate the Dodgers will be expecting changeups and alter his game plan and throw more fastballs? Does he figure the Dodgers would expect him to alter his plan and stay with changeups?

—Julio Urías starts for the Dodgers. It’s a comfortable feeling having him on the mound with all the big games he has appeared in.

—They showed both pitchers in their respective dugouts often during Game 4. Urías was sitting and looked cool as a cucumber. Webb was standing and looked nervous. Maybe that’s a good sign.

—My biggest complaint about the Dodgers offense was evidenced in Game 3. They don’t adjust to what is going on. The wind was gusting in much of the game, but they still tried to hit every ball as hard as possible. Meanwhile, Albert Pujols, who had two hits, just put the ball in play.

—Of course, adjusting when you are used to doing something a certain way is easier said than done. It would be like someone asking you to eat your cereal left-handed one morning (or right-handed if you are a left-hander). But still, no one is paying me millions of dollars to eat my cereal.

—Dave Roberts said that Gavin Lux will start Game 5, he’s just not sure at what position.

—Walker Buehler showed why he’s an ace in Game 4, starting on three days’ rest for the first time in the majors. “As long as I could walk in the clubhouse, I would have told them I could pitch,” Buehler said.

—“That’s why aces are aces,” Roberts said. “Because they don’t run from fights.”

—”When our backs are against the wall, we got a guy named Walker Buehler who gets us out of it,” Mookie Betts said. “He did it again [Tuesday.] Now Julio has to bring us home.”

—Roberts says it is “highly unlikely” Max Scherzer will be available for Game 5. So you’re saying there’s a chance!

—It’s nice to see that Giants manager Gabe Kapler was able to find work long after “Welcome Back, Kotter” went off the air. Wait, I’m being told that was Gabe Kaplan.

—The Dodgers have won 109 games this season. The Giants have won 109 games. This series has shown why they are the two best teams in baseball. All we can hope for in Game 5 is a well-played game, with no excuses for either side. May the best team win.

—Actually, Roberts said it best: “This is what baseball wants. All the series are done. We’re gonna be the only show in town. If you have a pulse or are a sports fan, you better be watching Dodgers-Giants.”

—I’ll stick with the prediction I made before this series started: Dodgers in five.

Batter vs. Pitcher

Current Giants vs. Julio Urías

Buster Posey, .500 (10 for 20, 4 doubles, 2 RBIs)
Steven Duggar, .500 (2 for 4)
Austin Slater, .368 (7 for 19, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 2 RBIs)
Brandon Belt, .294 (5 for 17, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 7 RBIs)
Brandon Crawford, .294 (5 for 17, 1 double)
Wilmer Flores, .250 (4 for 16)
Kris Bryant, .250 (4 for 16, 1 homer, 1 RBI)
Thairo Estrada, .250 (2 for 8)
Jaylin Davis, .250 (1 for 4)
Donovan Solano, .238 (5 for 21, 1 homer, 4 RBIs)
Mauricio Dubon, .231 (3 for 13, 1 double, 2 RBIs)
Evan Longoria, .222 (4 for 18, 1 RBI)
Darin Ruf, .211 (4 for 19, 1 double, 1 RBI)
Mike Yastrzemski, .200 (4 for 20, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 2 RBIs)
Logan Webb, .000 (0 for 4)
Curt Casali, .000 (0 for 4)
LaMonte Wade Jr., .000 (0 for 3)
Tommy La Stella, .000 (0 for 4)
Alex Dickerson, .000 (0 for 1)
Kevin Gausman, .000 (0 for 2)
Anthony DeSclafani, .000 (0 for 2)
Joey Bart, .000 (0 for 2)
Jarlin Garcia, .000 (0 for 1)
Caleb Baragar, .000 (0 for 1)

Team, .254 (60 for 236, 14 doubles, 6 homers, 22 walks, 69 strikeouts)

Current Dodgers vs. Logan Webb

Austin Barnes, .667 (2 for 3, 1 double, 2 RBIs)
Billy McKinney, .500 (1 for 2, 1 RBI)
Chris Taylor, .308 (4 for 13, 1 homer, 1 RBI)
Justin Turner, .300 (3 for 10, 3 doubles, 2 RBIs)
Max Muncy, .250 (3 for 12, 1 homer, 1 RBI)
Mookie Betts, .250 (2 for 8)
Will Smith, .250 (2 for 8, 1 double)
Corey Seager, .200 (2 for 10, 1 double)
Gavin Lux, .200 (1 for 5, 1 double)
Cody Bellinger, .188 (3 for 16, 1 double, 1 RBI)
AJ Pollock, .125 (1 for 8, 1 double, 1 RBI)
Matt Beaty, .000 (0 for 9)
Julio Urías, .000 (0 for 5)
Trea Turner, .000 (0 for 5)
Albert Pujols, .000 (0 for 4)
Zach McKinstry, .000 (0 for 4)
Luke Raley, .000 (0 for 2)
Walker Buehler, .000 (0 for 2)

Team, .191 (24 for 126, 9 doubles, 2 homers, 8 walks, 37 strikeouts)

Logan Webb vs. Dodgers this season: 2-0, 1.57 ERA, 23 IP, 12 hits, 4 walks, 27 strikeouts
Julio Urías vs. Giants this season: 3-1, 3.15 ERA, 34.1 IP, 34 hits, 4 walks, 36 strikeouts

Dodgers in the postseason

How the Dodgers are doing in the 2021 postseason

Batters

Albert Pujols, .500 (2 for 4)
Steven Souza Jr., .500 (1 for 2)
Gavin Lux, .400 (2 for 5)
Mookie Betts, .350 (7 for 20, 1 homer, 4 RBIs)
Will Smith, .333 (6 for 18, 1 double, 2 homers, 3 RBIs)
Cody Bellinger, .308 (4 for 13, 1 double, 2 RBIs)
Chris Taylor, .250 (3 for 12, 1 double, 1 homer, 3 RBIs)
Trea Turner, .227 (5 for 22, 2 doubles, 1 RBI)
Corey Seager, .200 (4 for 20, 1 double, 1 RBI)
AJ Pollock, .154 (2 for 13, 1 double, 2 RBIs)
Matt Beaty, .143 (1 for 7)
Justin Turner, .095 (2 for 21)
Austin Barnes, .000 (0 for 1)
Luke Raley, .000 (0 for 1)
Billy McKinney, .000 (0 for 1)

Pitchers

Brusdar Graterol, 3.2 IP, 1 hit, 0 walks, 2 K’s, 0.00 ERA
Phil Bickford, 2.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 K’s, 0.00 ERA
Kenley Jansen, 2.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 walks, 6 K’s, 1-0, 0.00 ERA
Corey Knebel, 1.1 IP, 0 hits, 0 walks, 3 K’s, 0.00 ERA
Max Scherzer, 11.1 IP, 6 hits, 4 walks, 14 K’s, 0-1, 1.59 ERA
Julio Urías, 5 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 5 K’s, 1-0, 1.80 ERA
Blake Treinen, 4 IP, 2 hits, 1 walks, 4 K’s, 2.25 ERA
Walker Buehler, 10.2 IP, 9 hits, 3 walks, 9 K’s, 0-1, 3.38 ERA
Joe Kelly, 2.1 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 1 K, 1-0, 3.86 ERA
Alex Vesia, 1.1 IP, 2 hit, 0 walks, 2 K’s, 6.77 ERA

Note: Tony Gonsolin and David Price are the only two players on the NLDS roster not to appear in a postseason game this year.

Series schedule

Game 1: at Giants 4, Dodgers 0
Game 2: Dodgers 9, at Giants 2
Game 3: Giants 1, at Dodgers 0
Game 4: at Dodgers 7, Giants 2
Game 5: Tonight, Dodgers (*Julio Urías, 20-3, 2.96 ERA) at San Francisco (Logan Webb, 11-3, 3.03 ERA), 6 p.m., TBS, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN radio

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Plaschke: Never-give-up Dodgers show longtime rival Giants they’re built for elimination games

Gavin Lux helps power Dodgers’ offensive resurgence in Game 4 victory

Dodgers hit jackpot on lineup gamble, beating Giants to force Game 5

Commentary: Dodgers fans, MLB’s best, deserved Game 4 win and deserve more home games

Photos: Dodgers vs. Giants in NLDS Game 4

And finally

Vin Scully tells a story from his childhood. Watch and listen here.