Treinen on Utley's decisive hit, focusing on Game 5

LOS ANGELES - The Dodgers found a way to stay in the National League Division Series thanks to a big hit by Chase Utley.

His eighth-inning two-out RBI single plated the go-ahead run and led the Dodgers to a 6-5 victory over the Nationals, forcing a decisive NLDS Game 5 on Thursday in D.C.. The series is now even at two games apiece.

The feeling postgame was more about how impressive a swing Utley put on the ball versus the pitch that reliever Blake Treinen threw to him.

After the Nationals had fought back to tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the seventh, the Dodgers mounted a rally in the bottom of the eighth.

With two outs, Treinen hit Andrew Toles with a pitch. It was the fourth time a Dodgers hitter had been plunked in the game, and it turned out to be the most costly.

After pinch-hitter Andre Ethier singled to left-center field, the Dodgers had two men on and two out.

Treinen had worked the Dodgers with his inside slider, producing strikeouts of Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson. The right-hander also was able to get Utley to swing and miss at that pitch.

But with the count at 1-2, Utley was able to turn on that same inside slider and ground it through the hole at second base, scoring Toles for a 6-5 Dodgers advantage. This time, they would not relinquish it. The slider that Utley hit reached 88.6 mph. The slider he swung and missed at was clocked at 90.2 mph.

Treinen said he placed the pitch exactly where he wanted, but the veteran just delivered.

"I felt like I was executing a lot of good pitches today," Treinen said. "To Utley, I had thrown a good slider down and in before, and he took a pretty good swing on it. Thought I had a really good chance to double up on it.

"Realistically, I didn't make a bad pitch; he just made a really good swing. Could I sit here and nitpick and say throwing down and in more or back door or whatever? He just put a good swing on it. I got a ground ball. It wasn't where we wanted it. Tip your cap a little bit, but at the same time it sucks because it ended up being the result of the game. We just move on and try to take it to them the next game in D.C."

Utley said he was just looking to make contact in that situation. He was 2-for-2 with one RBI in regular season against Treinen.

"Yeah, to try to put the ball in play, especially with two strikes and a man on second base, at that point the shadows had kind of disappeared," Utley said. "Middle of the game was kind of tough to see. But, yeah, able to sneak one through the infield. Obviously, it was a big hit for us, but there were a lot of great at-bats today."

In the tense eighth inning, Treinen had allowed two baserunners to reach on the hit by pitch and the single. Before facing Utley, manager Dusty Baker had left-hander Sammy Solis warming in the bullpen.

There was some question as to why Baker decided not to go to Solis in that spot to face the left-handed-hitting Utley. Turns out Baker didn't want the Dodgers to counter with Howie Kendrick as a pinch-hitter for Utley because he didn't like the matchup.

"When you look at it, maybe it's just their day," Baker said. "We had Solis warming up, but we really didn't want to use Solis, unless it was an emergency. That was an emergency situation, but I didn't want to bring a tired Solis out there to face Howie Kendrick, because we were trying to stay away from Howie Kendrick, because he's been lights out. So you've got to pick your poison. You know, (it) didn't work."

The bullpen ended up allowing two runs in the loss. Reynaldo Lopez surrendered an RBI double to Joc Pederson in the fifth. But they were the first two runs Nationals relievers have allowed in four games of the NLDS. They also had to go 5 1/3 innings after starter Joe Ross was unable to get out of the third inning.

Second baseman Daniel Murphy, who delivered the game tying two-run single for the Nationals in a three-run seventh-inning rally, said he still has confidence the bullpen can get the job done if placed in a similar situation in the must-win Game 5.

"The bullpen's been unbelievable," Murphy said. "I think you've more got to say hats off to Chase right there. He swung through two of those breaking balls already, and he makes an adjustment right there and shoots a line drive up the middle. I was at second base, I saw the whole at-bat unfold. He did a great job right there being able to get inside that ball. Chase had a great at-bat right there."

Treinen said he will be able to shake this loss off quickly. He said you can't dwell on this loss with as good as the bullpen has been.

"It's one of those things where if you start to think ahead or think in the past, then your mind is going to play tricks on you," Treinen said. "We just continue to go out there and try to execute pitches the best we can. Our guys have done a phenomenal job. It's just unfortunate.

"They made some good swings today. They grinded it out, they got the win. Unfortunately, I was the one on the mound when it happened and they were able to beat me today. There's always the game in D.C., Game 5. I think we're all looking forward to it and getting back in front of our fans."