The Dodgers and Brewers are set for another collision course, while the Yankees simply imploded.Â
We’re down to five teams left with World Series hopes. In the National League, we’ll have a rematch of last year’s NLCS. And in the American League, the Rays swept the Yankees and now await the winner of the White Sox-Guardians series for a chance at the World Series.Â
Here are our takeaways from Wednesday’s action:
Rowan Kavner:Â Before the National League Division Series shifted from Los Angeles to Atlanta, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gave a vote of confidence to his struggling All-Star center fielder.Â
After going 4-for-51 in the postseason during the Dodgers 2025 World Series run, Andy Pages started this October hitless in the first two games of the NLDS. He also was banished from using ABS challenges again after another failed attempt in a year full of them.Â
But Roberts stuck by the 25-year-old outfielder, who was one of the Dodgers most productive players this season.Â
“Im gonna continue to give Andy leash,” Roberts said. “I believe in him. I feel that for us to win the World Series this year, were gonna need him to be an active part of our team.”Â
Roberts just wanted to see better at-bats from the whiff-prone outfielder, who had struck out in half of his plate appearances over Games 1 and 2.Â
The Dodgers manager didnt have to wait long.Â
Pages responded with two hits and a run scored in Game 3, then delivered a game-breaking, series-sealing, two-run knock in Wednesdays Game 4 to send the Dodgers through to the National League Championship Series in a 4-1 win.Â
“I’ve been preparing myself all series for a moment like that,” Pages said.
Braves starter Tyler Mahle gave the Dodgers lineup fits, just as he did to most of his opponents after getting dealt from San Francisco to Atlanta at the trade deadline. Mahle, who had a 5.13 ERA in 18 appearances with the Giants and a 1.99 ERA in nine second-half starts with the Braves, held the Phillies to one run in seven innings in the wild-card series and the Dodgers to one run through the first six innings Wednesday night.Â
The only hit Mahle surrendered through his first four innings was a single to Pages in the third. Four innings later, the biggest moment of the game found Pages after reliever Didier Fuentes loaded the bases and Braves manager Walt Weiss called upon Robert Suarez with two outs and the bases loaded.Â
The free-swinging center fielder demonstrated restraint, taking the first two pitches outside the zone. He worked a 3-1 count, fouled off a four-seamer down the middle and then delivered the blow to end the Braves season with a base hit back up the middle.Â
It was the Dodgers only hit with a runner in scoring position during the series.Â
They hit eight home runs over the four games, including three from Max Muncy, whose solo shot in the ninth inning of Game 4 gave Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz some extra insurance before he locked down his second straight save to send the Dodgers forward to the NLCS for the eighth time in the last 11 years.Â
Theyre one series away â a rematch with the Brewers in the NLCS â from a third straight trip to the World Series.Â
Deesha Thosar: If theres any team to avoid making a mistake against, its the Rays. The Yankees know that. They learned that lesson the hard way during their atrocious, four-error performance in Game 2 of the ALDS at Tropicana Field. On Wednesday night in the Bronx, with their backs against the wall, the last thing they could afford to do was lose focus, or even get gassed.Â
Yankees left-hander Max Fried appeared fatigued and wiped out on his final pitch of the night: a 77.9 mph sweeper that he could not have hung more if he tried.Â
That was the dagger.
Rays left fielder Victor Mesa Jr. promptly sent it to the moon, breaking up the tied game with a go-ahead, two-run rocket. It was Mesas first ca
