Dodgers News: Chris Taylor Hits A Dodgers Dream Come True
The Los Angeles Dodgers have won their wild card matchup and are moving on to the NLDS to face the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers All-Star utility man, Chris Taylor, provided all the heroics on Wednesday night. On a 2-1 pitch in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, Taylor deposited a breaking ball into the left-field seats, and Dodger Stadium was pandemonium.
For Taylor, the swing was a culmination of a lot of pain turned into elation.
“I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason. There’s highs and lows. Everything I’ve been through, all the struggles, the successes, everything has brought me to this point. I think this is right where I’m supposed to be.”
Taylor, a free agent after this season, is not a stranger to big playoff swings. He shared the NLCS MVP in 2017, and he started the 2017 World Series by hitting a mammoth home run on the first pitch of game 1. None of those swings, however, were as big as this one. Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Taylor said he wasn't looking to hit a home run, just to make good contact. A hanging slider changed all that.
“These are the type of moments that you dream about and you live for. I’ll be able to look back on that for the rest of my life.”
There are no words more succinct than that. It's what every baseball player dreams of since childhood.
It was Taylor's sixth career postseason home run. After one of the worst stretches in his career, Taylor needed it. He hit .121 in the month of September, and his numbers since the all-star break were not much better. As they say, patience is a virtue rewarded. Taylor kept his approach consistent, knowing the slump would eventually break. His manager Dave Roberts put it earnestly.
“I think to put it simply the game honors you. He was ready when called upon.”
The Dodgers take on the Giants in the NLDS at Oracle Park, Friday night, at 6:37 PST.
