The wave of Dodger blue clambered over the Dodger Stadium dugout railing, steps away from beating the runner to the plate. Matt Kemp hugged the third-base line. Justin Turner clutched some sort of stick. Chris Woodward raised his arms in triumph. After five hours and 15 minutes of agonizing baseball, the group was ecstatic to see Game 4 of the National League Championship Series end in any finish. To finish like this felt like a dream.

The final sequence made the ballpark shake. Cody Bellinger stroked a two-out single into right field. Manny Machado hustled to score from second base. The ballpark shook as the Dodgers walked off with a 2-1 victory in 13 innings over the Brewers to even the series at two games apiece.

A few Dodgers sprinted to the plate to greet Machado. The majority tracked Bellinger into left field, where he was back-peddling and giddy, cherishing the first walkoff of his career.

“It’s probably a feeling you won’t forget, seeing your guys chase after you,” Bellinger said. “Honestly, I was surprised that they were throwing to me.”


It was that sort of game, where strategic decisions were questioned from the first inning to the 13th. Brewers manager Craig Counsell permitted reliever Junior Guerra to pitch to Bellinger with the winning run at second base, rather than walking the bases loaded to face pitcher Julio Urias with the Dodgers’ bench empty. The approach backfired, and this series will be decided this weekend at Miller Park.

But first there will be Game 5 on Wednesday afternoon. As Tuesday night bled into Wednesday morning, the Brewers swallowed the bitterness of the loss along with their anger with Machado. Several Milwaukee players ripped Machado for an incident in the 10th inning, when he dragged his left foot and clipped Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar while running through the bag.

The benches cleared and the bullpens emptied. Machado and Aguilar appeared to squash their beef later in the night. But Aguilar’s teammates griped. Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich referred to the incident as a “dirty play by a dirty player.” Machado shrugged off the criticism.

“I was trying to get over him, and hit his foot,” Machado said. “If that’s dirty, that’s dirty, I don’t know. Call it what you want.”


1 / 38 Dodgers Manny Machado scores the winning run off of Cody Bellinger’s single in the 13th inning against the Brewers in Game 4 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium Tuesday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 38 Teammates mob Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger after he hit the game winning RBI in the 13th inning. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 38 Dodgers Manny Machado rounds 3rd base to score the winning run off of Cody Bellinger’s single in the 13th inning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 38 Cody Bellinger recoils after a dousing of gatorade after hitting the game winning single to beat the Brewers 2-1 in 13 innings. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 38 Teammates mob Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger after he hit the game winning RBI in the 13th inning. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 38 Dodgers Cody Bellinger celebrates his game-winning RBI against the Brewers in the 13th inning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 38 Dodgers Cody Bellinger celebrates with Chris Taylor after driving in the winning run n the 13th inning of game 4 between Dodgers and Brewers. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 38 Dodgers Manny Machado scores the winning run off of Cody Bellinger’s single in the 13th inning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 38 Dodgers Cody Bellinger hits the game-winning RBI against the Brewers in the 13th inning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 38 Dodgers Cody Bellinger hits the game-winning RBI against the Brewers in the 13th inning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 38 Manny Machado and Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar confront each other after a 10th inning groundout. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 38 Dodgers Manny Machado has to be held back by 1st base coach George Lombard after an argument with Brewers 1st baseman Jesus Aguilar. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 38 Dodgers Brian Dozier is upset after striking out in the bottom of the 10th inning. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 38 Kenley Jansen and Austin Barnes consult each other during ninth inning action. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 38 Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger makes a diving catch on a hit by Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain in the ninth inning. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 38 Dodgers Justin Turner throws out Brewers Orlando Arcia in the 9th inning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 38 A fan almost interferes as Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Christian Yelich (22) tries to catch a foul ball hit by Dodgers Brian Dozier in the eighth inning. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 38 Dodgers pitcher Kenley Jansen rushes to field a short hit ball and throw out Brewers second baseman Jonathan Schoop in the ninth inning. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 38 Dodgers pinch-hitter Matt Kemp is tagged by Brewers catcher Erik Kratz during a strike out in the 8th inning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 38 Dodgers Chris Taylor makes a catch in front of Cody Bellinger in the 7th inning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 38 Leftfielder Chris Taylor slides to catch a sixth inning drive by Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 38 Dodgers Brian Dozier is tagged out by Brewers second baseman Jonathan Schoop on a sixth inning steal attempt. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 38 Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado argues with umpire Hunter Wendelstedt after striking out in the fifth inning. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 38 Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia is safe at home on a double by Domingo Santana and a late throw to Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes in the fifth inning. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 38 Brewers Orlando Arcia scores a run in fornt of Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes on a double by Domingo Santana in the 5th inning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 38 Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill reacts after striking out Christian Yelich to end the fifth inning. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 38 Dodgers 2nd baseman Brian Dozier completes the double play in front of Brewers base runner Jesus Aguilar in the 4th inning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 38 Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy is called-out on strikes with the bases loaded against Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta in the second inning. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 38 Rich Hill yells out at teammate Justin Turner afte the third baseman made a diving stop of a drive by Brewers hitter Ryan Braun in the third inning. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 38 Dodgers Brian Dozier steals second base on a late throw to Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Jonathan Schoop in the third inning. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 38 Brewers istarter Gio Gonzalez is consoled by teammate Mike Moustakas as he is being pulled from the game in the second inning after being hit by a Yasiel Puig liner. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 38 Dodgers baserunner Chris Taylor dives ahead of a second inning pickoff attempt from Brewers catcher Manny Pina to shortstop Orlando Arcia. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 38 Dodgers outfielder Chris Taylor scores a first inning run on a Brian Dozier single off Milwaukee Brewers starter Gio Gonzalez. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 38 Dodgers Joc Pederson celebrates as he swings a towel after an RBI single by Brain Dozier. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 38 Fans cheer as Dodgers’ Brian Dozier runs to first after hitting an RBI single in the first inning. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 38 Dodgers’ Chris Taylor scores a run against the on an RBI single from Brian Dozier in the first inning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 38 Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill throws a pitch to the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 38 Dodgers host the Milwaukee Brewers for Game 4 of the National League Championship Series under the lights of Dodger Stadium and downtown. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

The extracurricular controversy was heaped onto a night already marred by excess. The Dodgers used nine pitchers. The Brewers needed seven. The Dodgers struck out 17 times. The Brewers whiffed 15 times. Both teams ran out of position players. Manager Dave Roberts told Game 6 starter Hyun-Jin Ryu to prepare to enter the game if it continued much longer.

“We were all in,” Roberts said. “And one of the crazier games, where there’s really no margin on either side.”

The game began as an unorthodox pitcher’s duel. After watching Walker Buehler misfire in Monday’s seventh inning, Roberts held the reins tight on Rich Hill. Hill allowed one run in five innings, departing with six strikeouts and 71 pitches on his tab. He exited with the score tied at one, his teammates searching for traction against the Milwaukee bullpen.


The Brewers opened the game with Gio Gonzalez. He had lasted two innings in Game 1. An ankle injury limited his appearance on Tuesday to only one inning. From there, Counsell rode his hard-throwing relievers.

Hill zipped through a nine-pitch first inning. The frame ended with a flyball in Enrique Hernandez’s glove in center field. The crowd burst into applause as he secured the third out, with the fans showing no lingering resentment after Hernandez mentioned their lack of energy in Game 3. The Dodgers hoped to manufacture their own enthusiasm on Tuesday: Joc Pederson waved a rally towel from the dugout as his team played the field.

Pederson was whipping the laundry around as the Dodgers produced a run in the first inning off Gonzalez. Gonzalez has never had a steady relationship with the strike zone. He fell behind often, walking Chris Taylor and clipping David Freese with a 3-0 pitch. Brian Dozier cracked a single into left field to score Taylor and hand Hill the lead. Hernandez flied out to leave two batters aboard.

Gonzalez exited in the second inning. He rolled his left ankle trying to field a comebacker from Yasiel Puig. He attempted to stay in the game, but limped off the field after one pitch to Austin Barnes. Freddy Peralta became the first reliever out of Milwaukee’s bullpen. He was far from the last.


The Brewers broke through against Hill in the fifth. The catalyst was light-hitting shortstop Orlando Arcia, a thorn in the Dodgers’ side with a pair of homers earlier in the series. In the fifth he slapped a single up the middle, setting the table for pinch hitter Domingo Santana.

A 1-2 curveball from Hill swept over the plate. Santana smashed it into the right-center gap, out of Puig’s reach. Arcia jetted home, beating the relay throw from Machado to tie the score.

The lead was gone. But Hill protected the deadlock by striking out outfielder Christian Yelich to end the inning. The result still infuriated him, and so did his impending departure from the game. Hill grabbed a container full of Hi-Chew and bashed it on the bench. As the candies scattered across the dugout, Hill punted the cooler.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how we get there,” Hill said. “It just matters that we win.”


With two out in the bottom of the fifth, Machado tried to call time as Brewers reliever Corbin Burnes prepared to deliver a 1-2 pitch. Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt declined to grant Machado the privilege. Machado stepped out of the batter’s box, only to see Burnes end the inning with a fastball over the plate. Roberts bounded out of his dugout to corral Machado as the player yelled at Wendelstedt.

The Dodgers sputtered through the next two innings. Dozier was drilled by a pitch to start the sixth, but got thrown out trying to steal second. A leadoff single by Barnes in the seventh went nowhere.

An opening emerged from an unlikely source. Counsell chose left-handed relief ace Josh Hader for the eighth inning. He had collected two outs on Game 3, which limited his viability for Tuesday. Hader pitched on consecutive days only five times during the regular season, and Muncy cracked a leadoff single.

Hader did not buckle. He set down the next two batters, overpowering Machado along the way. After Bellinger poked a single, Hader fanned pinch-hitter Matt Kemp with a 98-mph fastball. The strikeout left runners at the corners and the Dodgers empty-handed.


Yet as the game drifted into extra innings, the advantage tilted toward the Dodgers — as long as they won. Because Hader will likely be unavailable in Game 5, leaving Counsell’s bullpen without its primary weapon. Counsell also used reliever Corey Knebel the last two nights.

As Milwaukee prepares for Game 5, they will likely need to lean on reliever Brandon Woodruff behind starter Wade Miley. Counsell could also turn to Jeremy Jeffress, who has been shaky throughout this postseason.

“We’re in a little bit of a tough spot, for sure,” Counsell said. “And I think that’s just the nature of a 13-inning game, and losing your starter in the second inning.”

The Dodgers did not share the frustration. They had come so close to experiencing something similar. Instead they felt relief.


“It’s a game that we had to win,” Turner said. “It was really a marathon game. To come out on top of that was huge.”

andy.mccullough@latimes.com

Twitter: @McCulloughTimes