Had Rōki Sasaki and Blake Treinen conspired to blow this masterpiece in the bottom of the ninth, the discourse would have been wild: Dave Roberts questioned for yanking Snell after 102 pitches, the wound from Snell’s early hook – against the Dodgers no less – in Game 5 of the 2020 World Series reopened.

Though Los Angeles has fielded legendary rotations – from Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale to Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw in his prime – never before had four consecutive starters each recorded at least nine strikeouts in the postseason.