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On Sept. 14, the Los Angeles Dodgers suffered a 10-1 defeat against the Atlanta Braves on the road. It was one of their most lopsided losses of the season and their fourth loss in the last five games at that time. Surprisingly, it wasn’t even their biggest loss of the day.
During that game, the Dodgers revealed that starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow, who was their Opening Day starter and a significant offseason acquisition, would likely be out for the rest of the season. Glasnow had been placed on the injured list on Aug. 16 due to an injured elbow, and there was hope for his return in the postseason until the ruling on that day.
Following the announcement, the Dodgers held a team meeting that outfielder Teoscar Hernández described as a game-changer.
Manager Roberts explained, “I just wanted to get the guys together. I’m not someone who holds many meetings, but at that point, we had suffered two straight losses to the Braves, and we received the news about Tyler being done for the year. I sensed a bit of negativity, and that’s not who we are.”
Hernández added, “It was in Atlanta. It wasn’t about our performance; it was about losing Glasnow. The meeting was to uplift everyone’s spirits and keep pushing until we achieve everything we set out to.”
At that moment, the Dodgers were unaware that they would also lose Clayton Kershaw and Gavin Stone for the entire postseason. Despite facing numerous injuries throughout the season, Glasnow’s season-ending news served as a unifying force for the team.
Roberts emphasized, “I can’t believe in them more than they believe in each other. They need to have confidence in themselves. I believe we have enough talent in the room to achieve that.”
Hernández remarked, “One meeting changed everything. We realized our potential, the quality of our players, and that we are still the Dodgers. We understood that we could achieve extraordinary things with the players available and maintain our position at the top until the others returned to contribute.”
Following the meeting on Sept. 14, the Dodgers triumphed in the final two games of the series against the Braves, secured the National League West division title once again, and clinched the No. 1 seed in the NL.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Dodgers faced a 2-1 deficit against the San Diego Padres. However, they rallied and won the last two games to advance to the NLCS for the first time since 2021. Despite a depleted starting rotation, the Dodgers equaled the postseason record for consecutive scoreless innings, relying on the available players. As of now, they lead 3-2 in the NLCS against the New York Mets, just one win away from a World Series berth.
Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
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