Dodgers blank Padres, forcing winner-take-all Game 5 in National League Division Series

Things change in the playoffs at a speed that can cause whiplash and test the heart of a team and toy with the hearts of its fans.

Every at-bat sends a packed ballpark from elated to deflated. Every result swings the perceived advantage radically.

So it was Wednesday. In front of yet another record crowd at Petco Park, the Padres on Wednesday went from needing to win one of two games to needing to win or go home.

They will have to play the National League Division Series to...