In baseball, the most difficult defeats to explain are the ones you don’t see coming.
“That’s a good question,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said last autumn when asked why his historically prolific offense, the driving force behind a 104-victory team, failed to deliver in the National League Division Series against the Phillies.
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“Shock factor — very high,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after his 111-win club crashed out in four games to the 89-win Padres in the 2022 National League Division Series. “The great thing about baseball is the unpredictability,” he added.