Facing elimination against Padres in Game 4, Dodgers relegated to bullpen game

Despite winning the NL West and entering the postseason as the betting favorite to win the National League pennant, the Los Angeles Dodgers face elimination on Wednesday in Game 4 of their National League Division Series against the scorching-hot San Diego Padres .

With a pitching staff decimated by injuries , Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced that he would resort to a bullpen game , likely deploying a relief pitcher as an opener.

Tensions between the teams erupted in Game 2 of the series in Dodger Stadium. First, Jurickson Profar taunted Dodgers fans after dramatically robbing Mookie Betts of a home run. Later in the game, fans threw items at Profar , including a baseball, resulting in a 12-minute delay. Additionally, Padres third baseman Manny Machado threw a ball toward the Dodgers dugout , an act described by Roberts as "unsettling" and "disrespectful."

Game 3 produced more drama, beginning with another shot off Betts' bat that was nearly gloved by Profar as it soared over the left-field fence. But his second home run robbery effort came up just short, and the Dodgers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead. The Padres promptly responded with six runs in the bottom of the second inning, fueled by a controversial baserunning play by Machado.

Although San Diego appeared to have taken a commanding lead, the Dodgers quickly made the game close in the top of the third inning with a dramatic grand slam by Teoscar Hernandez .

Hernandez's blast was the end of the offensive fireworks in Game 3. The pitching staffs of both teams took over and did not allow any more runs, resulting in a 6-5 win for the Padres.

With Dylan Cease taking the mound for San Diego, the Padres could close out the series on Wednesday night.

The Dodgers have yet to announce who their starter/opener will be. However, in their effort to avoid elimination in the NLDS for the third consecutive year, the Dodgers have vowed to make the clash an " all hands on deck " effort.