Dodgers: Luis Castillo performance is timely reminder of Wild Card Game dangers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have become so accustomed to winning that it’s almost unfathomable when they lose.

The only problem? The Giants won’t stop winning, either. On Friday night, it looked as though San Francisco was headed for another loss — their third in a row —  after the Braves stormed back to take the lead in the ninth inning.

But wouldn’t you know it, the Giants tied it up in the bottom half before Kyle Guasman (!) hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to end it in the 11th.

The win pushed the Dodgers two games back in the NL West standings, which got us thinking about the significance of Friday’s loss to Cincinnati.

With the Dodgers still playing catch up, they got a glimpse of the dangers of a one-game playoff, as Luis Castillo shut down their high-powered lineup en route to a 3-1 win at Great American Ball Park.

Luis Castillo’s dominant start should remind the Dodgers of the dangers of playing in the Wild Card Game.

Castillo threw 6.1 shutout innings. The Reds’ ace allowed just five hits and became just the seventh hurler to post double digit strikeouts in a start against Los Angeles this season. If that outing didn’t strike some fear into Dodgers fans, well, those folks clearly don’t recognize that every game this month is a must-win.

It obviously depends on the matchup and what rotations look like at the end of the regular season, but this very scenario could rear its ugly head if the Dodgers found themselves in the NL Wild Card Game.

If the season ended today, the Dodgers would lock horns against the Cardinals. The last time we checked, St. Louis has a couple of pitchers who are capable of delivering a lights-out performance on a big stage. Adam Wainwright certainly springs to mind amid his remarkable age-40 season.

Jack Flaherty’s been hindered by injuries this season and is currently on the injured list with a strained shoulder, but we’d want no part of him in a win-or-go-home game if we were the Dodgers. At just 25 years old, Flaherty has already proven that he embraces pitching in high-leverage situations.

This doesn’t just go for the Cardinals. All three of St. Louis, San Diego and Cincinnati — the three most likely candidates to nab the second Wild Card spot in the NL — have studs at the top of their respective rotations.

The Dodgers obviously have the talent to overwhelm any ace, but let Friday’s loss serve as a timely reminder that anything can happen in a win-or-go home scenario.

For all his inconsistencies this season, Castillo had it all working against LA and didn’t allow a runner past second base.

Something to think about with the end of the regular season looming and the Dodgers still looking up at the Giants in the NL West.

Dodgers: Padres using Larry Rothschild as scapegoat completely backfired

Once again, the Los Angeles Dodgers should be laughing at the San Diego Padres because of their horrible personnel decisions.