SAN DIEGO —
In the hours before Game 4 of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on Wednesday night, there was a quiet but palpable belief around the Dodgers dugout, one that belied the seemingly dire state in which they found themselves.
Sure, the team was facing a third-straight elimination in the NLDS, down two games to one to the San Diego Padres.
And no, they were not at full strength, playing without injured veterans Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas on the same day they opted for a bullpen game from their banged-up pitching staff.