Dodgers meltdown in playoff-ending loss to Padres.

The Dodgers go home after playoff loss to the Padres. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers bounced back in Game 4 with six strong innings before crumbling in the seventh to give up five runs and lose 5-3 to the Padres, capping off a season full of high expectations and promise.

“Hugely disappointing how it ended." I think that right now it just stings a lot more in the moment. I don’t know how long it’s going to take to sort of look back and appreciate what we did do. But you've got to give the Padres credit," manager Dave Roberts said.

All around, the Dodgers played well enough to win this game, leaving runners in scoring position for the millionth time and still not finding a way to bring in runners. 

The Dodgers' meltdown came in the 7th inning. With the Dodgers leading 3-0, it appeared that a Game 5 was on the way, but the Dodgers bullpen had their worst performance at the worst time. 

The bullpen surrendered all five runs in the 7th inning, with Austin Nola bringing in a run on a ground out and Ha-Seong Kim doubling to bring in another run. 

All-star Juan Soto was up next, delivering with a single to score Kim from second base, tying the game at 3-3.

The Dodgers made a controversial switch from Yency Almote to lefty Alex Vesia to get a lefty-on-lefty matchup against Jake Cronenworth.

That’s when Cronenworth broke all Dodgers fans' hearts by hitting a liner over second base, bringing in two runs to put them up 5–3 and put all momentum on their side in a 5-run inning and so on to win the game. 

The Dodgers' season will be looked at as one of the most heartbreaking and disappointing season they have ever had.

They finished the season with 111 wins and (best record in baseball) many historical numbers just to lay an egg and have a meltdown series against a team they had the largest wins differential against in playoff matchups (22) since 1906.

“I’ll take a couple of days off and then start getting ready for next year." "When you don’t accomplish your goal, you want to get right back out there and do it again,” Freddie Freeman said after the Dodgers’ loss.

With such a disastrous way to end the season, one has to wonder how secure manager Dave Roberts' job is. Guess we’ll have to wait and see what’s to come with the Dodgers this off-season in an elite free agent class and Dave Roberts' job security is up in the air.