The Flyers have won 36 of their last 40 home games

LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw was out of the game, his head down in the dugout, the Los Angeles bullpen faltering and the season slipping away.Chase Utley plucked the Dodgers from the brink, singling home the tiebreaking run with two outs in the eighth inning.Suddenly, Game 5 was on the horizon.One more chance to pursue the clubs first World Series appearance in 28 years.There is no quit in this team, closer Kenley Jansen said.The Dodgers avoided elimination Tuesday with a 6-5 victory over the Washington Nationals that forced a deciding game in their NL playoff.Jansen worked the ninth for a save, one day after giving up four late runs during Los Angeles loss in Game 3.I got out there and focused and fought, he said.The finale is Thursday in Washington, with 20-game winner Max Scherzer set to pitch for the Nationals.Man, this is going to be a heck of a ballgame, he said. The effort from both sides over the first four games has been incredible. Great pitching, great hitting, defense, everything.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he will use left-hander Rich Hill and rookie Julio Urias, but did not announce which one will start. Hill is expected to get the ball first.If anyone gives up on this team, they havent seen us play a whole lot this year, Roberts said, and it starts with what Clayton did -- short rest and leaving it all out there. Everyone fed off that.Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers, who turned to Kershaw on three days rest to salvage their season.The score was tied 5-all with two outs in the eighth when Andrew Toles got hit by a pitch from loser Blake Treinen. Ethier followed with a single to left and Utley singled to right, scoring Toles from second for a 6-5 lead.Trailing 5-2 in the seventh, the Nats had runners on first and second against Kershaw with two outs. The crowd chanted Kershaws name as he and Bryce Harper battled through eight pitches before Harper drew a walk.Man, thats what baseball is all about right there -- a matter of will, Nats manager Dusty Baker said. Kershaw was on empty. We knew it. They knew it. Everybody knew it.Harpers walk loaded the bases and chased Kershaw, who walked off with his head down. He sat alone in the dugout with his head resting on his right hand.Kershaw was outstanding, Baker said. Thats one of the best performances Ive seen, especially on three days rest.But the Dodgers bullpen nearly gave the game away.Pedro Baez came in and hit Jayson Werth with his only pitch, forcing in a run to make it 5-3. Baez got booed off the field.Daniel Murphys single off Luis Avilan dropped between Toles and Joc Pederson in left-center field, scoring two runs to tie it at 5. Avilan also heard boos.Joe Blanton, who earned the win, retired Anthony Rendon on a swinging strikeout to end the inning.Our bullpen has been unbelievable, Kershaw said. Joe did what Joes been doing all season. Hes been through a lot in his career but he came in and shut them down.After failing to close out the Dodgers on the road, Washington gets one more chance to win a playoff series for the first time since the franchise relocated from Montreal. NL East champions in three of the past five years, the Nationals were unable to advance during their two previous trips to the postseason.Thats why we fought so hard for the home-field advantage, Baker said. This year, its coming to fruition.Desperate to avoid another early playoff exit, the Dodgers went with Kershaw, their three-time Cy Young Award winner who won Game 1 last Friday despite going just five innings and allowing three runs.This time, he was charged with five runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out 11 -- equaling his second-best postseason total -- and walked two.The left-hander was limited to 149 innings while compiling a 1.69 ERA during the regular season. He missed 2 1/2 months with a mildly herniated disk in his back.Kershaw opened the game by giving up a leadoff single and a walk before Murphys RBI single.The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on Gonzalezs two-run shot that scored Justin Turner, who was hit by a pitch from Joe Ross.Werths RBI single tied it 2-all in the third.Los Angeles again answered in the bottom of the inning, with Kershaw getting the rally going with a double to left field. He slid into second and clenched his fists in a rare show of emotion.Kershaw scored on Turners single with two outs. Pederson got hit by a pitch from Ross with the bases loaded, forcing in TurnerRoss made his postseason debut for the Nationals, giving up four runs and three hits in 2 2/3 innings, equaling the shortest playoff start in the history of the Montreal-Washington franchise. The 23-year-old right-hander struck out three and walked two. He hasnt pitched more than four innings since coming off the disabled list on Sept. 18.LOOK OUT!Five players were hit by pitches, including four Dodgers, which set a single-game franchise playoff record. Of the quartet, two ended up scoring. Werth was the lone Nationals player to get hit.There have been 11 hit batters in the series, a postseason record.No one on either side is trying to hit anybody with everything on the line right now, Scherzer said. Thats just baseball being played at its highest.TRAINERS ROOMNationals RHP Stephen Strasburg experienced discomfort in his right elbow during a bullpen session Monday at Dodger Stadium. He threw 30 or 31 pitches instead of the scheduled 35. Strasburg has been out since tearing the pronator tendon in his elbow on Sept. 7.Baker said Strasburg was throwing the ball very good and hes not concerned about the pitchers progress. Strasburg has said he would try to return this season if the Nationals advance to the NLCS.CANT CLOSE `EM OUTBaker has lost eight consecutive postseason games when his team would have advanced with a victory. Thats the longest such streak in major league history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.ELIMINATION GAMESThe Dodgers improved to 12-15 in postseason elimination games since moving to Los Angeles. Air Max 97 Kaufen . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville. Vapormax Plus Schweiz . Datsyuk will miss Tuesdays game against New Jersey and could be sidelined longer, while Cleary will likely miss at least the next three games. Its been an injury-plagued season for Datsyuk, who has suited up for just 39 games. http://www.vapormaxkaufenschweiz.com/vapormax-damen-schweiz/vapormax-weiss-outlet.html . -- Stanfords Kevin Danser knelt on one knee and hardly moved on the sideline as Michigan State celebrated its Rose Bowl victory and his Cardinal teammates made their way to the locker room. Air Max 200 Herren . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. Vapormax Plus Damen Schweiz . The recently retired Stern was elected Friday to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and will be enshrined with the class of 2014 on Aug. DAYTON, Ohio -- Calvin Hermanson opened the game with a layup. Jock Landale was fouled and made both free throws, and then had a dunk. St. Marys was off and running toward an impressive road win.Hermanson scored 16 points -- most of them from the perimeter -- and Landale scored most of his 15 off moves to the basket on Saturday. The outside-inside attack swept No. 17 St. Marys to a 61-57 victory over Dayton in the Gaels first road game.The Gaels (3-0) led the whole way, pulling ahead by 20 points midway through the second half and holding off a late Dayton rally. Until the closing minutes, they felt very relaxed.Coming out to the big start not only got the crowd out of it, but gave us confidence for the rest of the game, said Hermanson, who fouled out with 2:52 left. We started running our stuff and getting great shots and realizing we could almost get what we wanted. We were able to settle in once we had some success.Those last 3 minutes left them sweating one out.The Flyers (2-1) took advantage of the Gaels sloppiness -- 100 turnovers in the second half -- and went on a 14-1 run. Charles Cookes jumper cut it to 59-57 with 25 seconds left. Emmett Naar hit two free throws with 7.2 seconds left to clinch it.We knew the storm was coming, coach Randy Bennett said. We weathered most of it.Cooke scored 19 for the Flyers , who are 1-2 against Top 25 teams over the last two seasons.I told them Im not most disappointed with the loss, but with how we lost, coach Archie Miller said. The last 8 minutes is how we should have played the whole 40 minutes.Landale -- a 6-foot-11 center -- had his way inside early, working the pick-and-roll for layups. Landale and Hermanson scored all of St. Marys points as the Gaels pulled ahead 19-11. The Gaels led by as many as 14 in the half.ddddddddddddI dont know that anybody has answers against them, Miller said. Theyre able to do what they do against anybody. We wont be the only team that struggles against them.ENCOREThe Gaels were coming off a 110-72 win over Prairie View A&M, their first 100-point game since 2012.TD UPLandale got a technical foul for grabbing the rim while trying for a put-back dunk in the second half.ON THE BOARDSLandale had 14 rebounds, helping St. Marys get a 38-31 edge in rebounds.POLL IMPLICATIONSSt. Marys: The Gaels were ranked in the preseason poll for the first time in their history and put themselves in position to move up with an impressive road win. The Flyers have won 36 of their last 40 home games.Heck of a win, Bennett said. We know what Dayton is. We had to play well, and we did until the last 3 minutes. Playing a Top 25 (caliber) team on their court, out of your region -- those are tough games to get.Dayton: The Flyers have been on the verge of entering the poll, but the home-court loss will put that on hold for now.BIG PICTURESt. Marys: The Gaels came into the game third in Division I in field-goal percentage at 58.5 percent and showed their patience on the road. They had 16 assists on 20 field goals.Dayton: Sophomore forward Josh Cunningham tore a ligament in his left ankle during a 77-72 win at Alabama on Tuesday and had surgery. The Flyers said Saturday hell be sidelined for at least three months.UP NEXTSt. Marys: Hosts San Jose State on Tuesday.Dayton: Plays Nebraska on Thursday in the Wooden Legacy tournament.---More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org ' ' '