Los Angeles Dodgers head into a dangerous do-or-die Game 5

Whether it was an inch foul or striking out with the bases loaded, it all spelled out Game 5 for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series.

The Los Angeles Dodgers had a chance to move on to their fourth straight National League Championship Series up 2-1 against the Washington Nationals on Monday night. Instead, they now face a real chance of flushing a 106-win season and extending their World Series win drought to 31 years.

Game 5 bears no easy task after letting Max Scherzer go seven innings on 109 pitches on three days rest. The Dodgers have to face Stephen Strasburg, who beat them in Game 2 on regular rest.

The Dodgers are in baseball’s worst-case scenario: a do or die situation where every pitch matters. Win and you move on, lose and you’re left wondering what-if all winter long.

How The Los Angeles Dodgers Got Here

The Washington Nationals boasted three starters to throw 230 strikeouts during the year, a major league first. The Dodgers blasted past National League record for home runs in a season by a good 30 plus. It was a matchup of baseball axioms, pitching versus hitting; so far both are taking hold.

The Dodgers have struck out 50 times and left 30 men on base, the biggest culprit being A.J. Pollock, who set a Dodgers record for the NLDS with 10 strikeouts in 12 at-bats. The Dodgers have looked worse when it’s been against the Nationals starters, scoring most of their runs against the weak Nationals bullpen.

At the same time, the Dodgers have out-homered the Nationals 7-2 and in their two wins outscored them 16-4. Which Dodgers offense shows up will determine whether they win or lose game five.

Right Guy? Right Time?

For Dodger fans who are concerned about Strasburg, National fans should be equally concerned about Dodgers starter Walker Buehler. At 25 years old, Buehler is already gaining a reputation as a pitcher with ice in his veins.

This will be Buehler’s third must-win start in the last two years; he started game 163 against the Rockies and game seven against the Brewers in last year’s NLCS. The Dodgers are asking Buehler to step “once more unto the breach” and keep their season alive.

What If?

If the Los Angeles Dodgers lose and their season ends in the NLDS for the first time in three seasons there will be a lot of questions left up in the air. The core of the 2016 season, which was Dave Roberts first with the team, maybe broken up.

Roberts may be the first to go, having won 106 games this year but unable to navigate the NLDS. Older players like Kenta Maeda and Rich Hill may be shown the door for younger prospects taking their place or a free agent pitcher like Gerrit Cole.

Will ownership get fed up with going to seven straight playoffs and no World Series titles and change course, opening up the coffers to outspend teams or further close it up, enjoying their tax write-off and revenues from a full Dodger Stadium? If the Dodgers lose it will just beget more “If’s.”