The Los Angeles Dodgers finished 16 games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West standings this season.
But it certainly didn't look that way in the NLDS.
The sixth-seeded Diamondbacks completed a stunning three-game sweep of the 100-win Dodgers on Wednesday with a 4-2 Game 3 victory at Chase Field in Phoenix. The result advanced Arizona to its first NLCS since 2007 while ending Los Angeles' postseason after just three games.
While the Dodgers finally prevented the D-backs from scoring in the first inning, they still fell behind early in Game 3. In the third inning, Dodgers starter Lance Lynn gave up four solo home runs over the course of six at-bats -- with Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, Christian Walker and Gabriel Moreno all going yard.
It was the first time in MLB playoff history that a team homered four times in the same inning.
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Despite failing to make it out of the third inning, Lynn actually recorded the longest outing of any Dodgers starter in the series. Lynn, Clayton Kershaw and Bobby Miller combined for 4.2 innings pitched, allowing 13 runs and 16 hits total.
Los Angeles' loaded lineup couldn't pick up its struggling starters, either, as the Dodgers pushed across just six runs in the series. NL MVP candidates Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman went a combined 1-for-21 with three walks. That combination of poor starting pitching and a quiet offense prevented the Dodgers from ever holding a lead throughout the entire series.
There were three 100-win teams this season and two of them -- the Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles -- saw their postseason end in three games. And the other 100-win club -- the MLB-best Atlanta Braves -- are on the brink of elimination against the Philadelphia Phillies.
This marks the second consecutive season that Los Angeles was bounced by a wild card team (and NL West foe) in the NLDS. Last year, the San Diego Padres won three straight to eliminate the Dodgers in four games.
Here's how the MLB world reacted to the Dodgers' latest playoff exit:
