LOS ANGELES — Don Mattingly took the biggest gamble of his managerial life Monday night at Dodger Stadium, and came up a winner.
Thanks to Juan Uribe, who blasted a two-run home run in the eighth inning to lift the Dodgers to a crazy 4-3 victory over the Braves to win the NLDS in four games and move on to the NLCS.
This was a Kirk Gibson moment.
The Dodgers were trailing 3-2 when Uribe twice failed on bunt attempts trying to move Yasiel Puig to third, after Puig led off the eighth with a double.
With the count 2-2, Uribe drove a David Carpenter pitch deep into the night, far over the left field fence to lift the Dodgers and Mattingly to the next round as the 54,438 fans celebrated wildly.
“That was the greatest moment of my life,’’ Uribe said. “I got that hit for all my teammates.’’
Said Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti: “Thank God Juan can’t bunt.’’
Mattingly could have been facing elimination if the Dodgers lost this series, but now he and his Dodgers move on.
“Don’t worry about Don Mattingly,’’ Colletti said.
Mattingly, the former Yankees great who has never been to the World Series, opted to pitch his ace, Clayton Kershaw, on three days rest.
The Dodgers were on the ropes until Uribe’s blast.
This appeared to be a panic move, a Dodger Dog of a decision to pitch Kershaw, because the Dodgers were leading the series 2-1. But somehow it all worked out.
As Mattingly said about this wild Dodgers season earlier in this NLDS: “All’s well that ends well.’’
Of the Kershaw move and the night, Mattingly smiled and said: “It’s a good feeling to end up winning because you don’t have to answer all those questions. You have to do the best thing for your ballclub.
These are decisions you make. You try to put the guys in the right position, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
“Sometimes it doesn’t and it still works.’’
That’s what happened on this night for Mattingly.
The speculation was flying in La-La Land. There was even the idea floating around that if the Dodgers fired Mattingly, they would bring Joe Girardi out west to manage.
But the Dodgers have moved on to the NLCS with Mattingly at the helm.
This marked the first time in his career Kershaw — who went six innings and allowed two unearned runs — started on three days rest.
It’s one thing to start a World Series game on short rest. It’s another to do that in the NLDS with the lead.
The Dodgers’ first two runs came on solo home runs by Carl Crawford against Freddy Garcia.
The Braves took a 3-2 lead in the seventh on a triple by Elliot Johnson and a single by little lefty Jose Constanza. Both hits came against right-handed reliever Ronald Belisaro. Mattingly declined to bring in a lefty to face Constanza.
“It’s about winning today,’’ Mattingly said, defending the decision before the game.
He said the decision to pitch Kershaw on three days rest had “nothing to do with my future. It is just winning, period. We’re trying to win a game today.’’
Right before the start of the game, Dodgers great Steve Garvey, who threw the ceremonial first pitch from first base, was given the microphone and made this announcement to the fans: “Welcome to the final game of the 2013 NLDS.’’
All the Braves were in the dugout and they took notice of Garvey’s bravado. But Garvey’s words rang true, thanks to Uribe.
“I’m just so proud of the guys in that room,’’ Mattingly said. “They just stayed together, kept working. Everyone stayed the course.’’
Donnie Baseball could have been Gonnie Baseball because of his bold decision, but Uribe’s dramatic blast changed all that and made this a night to remember for Mattingly and the Dodgers.
All’s well that ends well.
After all, this is Hollywood.