The Los Angeles Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the NLDS with a 3-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. They need one more to advance to the NLCS, with the possibility of a 3rd straight World Series waiting in the wings.

Before Game 3, the Dodgers were in a bind. They had a sluggish offensive showing in Game 2 and then faced the daunting task of facing Chris Sale. As a result, manager Dave Roberts had a mouthful to say to the offense, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

“It was just to kind of try to put them in a mindset that it’s an elimination game, to challenge them to be more exhausted emotionally because they’re playing every single pitch,” Roberts said. “I wanted Chris Sale to know he was in a fight. I think we accomplished that.”

They did just that. The Dodgers swung the bats as Sale reached 64 pitches after 3 innings. Mookie Betts went 2-for-5, and Andy Pages went 2-for-4. Freddie Freeman went 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. Enrique Hernandez went 1-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBIs.

Roberts credited Hernandez for making the difference as he notched his 17th career postseason home run.

“It’s just one of those things that having him in a lineup in the postseason just adds that extra sort of urgency, that kind of grit you need,” Roberts said.

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Meanwhile, Sale struck out 7 but pitched 5 innings and gave up 7 hits.

The Dodgers have a chance to close out the series in Game 4 at Truist Park in Atlanta on Wednesday at 5:00 pm CST/6:00 pm EST.