The Dodgers had been here before.
Coming off an emotional five-game division series against a National League West opponent. Entering an NL Championship Series against a team with whom they were much less familiar. Four wins from reaching the World Series, and are considered safe favorites to get there. But needing to regroup, and make a 48-hour shift from one series to the next.
In 2021, the Dodgers couldn’t do it. After defeating the San Francisco Giants in Game 5 of the NLDS, they lost Game 1 of the NLCS to the Atlanta Braves two days later.