![]() ![]() They would’ve had more top-tier ones if Treinen and Kimbrel were right.ĭiGiovanna: The lack of an established closer. Without Kimbrel closing (if he makes the roster at all), Brusdar Graterol or Tommy Kahnle or Chris Martin or Alex Vesia might be held until the ninth inning. Instead of Treinen playing fireman, Evan Phillips, the team’s top reliever this season, might be the one called on to escape a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning. Not having them in their roles has a domino effect. But the Dodgers know the postseason and the regular season aren’t the same. It might not end up being a problem at all. The Dodgers’ bullpen was statistically the best in the majors this season. #Wally sox classic seriesThe problem is the Dodgers might be without Treinen for at least the NLDS - after already losing Daniel Hudson, a veteran with World Series experience, for the season in June. It’s not just that the Dodgers don’t have a traditional closer after Craig Kimbrel’s demotion the Red Sox in 2018 and the Dodgers in 2020 both proved a team can win a World Series without an established closer assigned the ninth inning for every save situation. ![]() ![]() I think the back end of the bullpen - not just the closer - is the most pressing question. Of course, if the Dodgers don’t hit in the NLDS, we’ll say clinching a playoff spot with a month to go and resting for a week after the regular season were hazards, not benefits. The Dodgers’ Game 1 starter could start a possible Game 5 on regular rest. In 2022, while the Dodgers can rest their pitchers in advance of the NLDS, Scherzer (or Darvish) might only be able to start once against them. Shaikin: Losing the 2021 race to the Giants meant the Dodgers had to use Scherzer in a wild-card game - and that meant Scherzer could start only once in the NLDS. This year, it could be flipped, with the Dodgers not only getting to line up a rested pitching staff, but also because they could face a Mets team that came up short in its own heated division race this year. Since the start of spring training, Dave Roberts and his players have referenced how worn out they were by the end of last season by both the division race and the more arduous postseason path they took as a wild-card team. They’d also have easier travel to San Diego in a condensed schedule (not to mention a likely less hostile road environment). They kept the Padres lineup in check - before and after their trade deadline frenzy. They didn’t lose a single series to San Diego this year. Harris: I think the Padres are the easier opponent for the Dodgers. DeGrom and Scherzer give the Mets a formidable one-two pitching punch, but Padres ace Yu Darvish (5-1, 1.85 ERA in last six starts) and left-hander Blake Snell (2-1, 0.72 ERA in last four starts) have been dominant of late, new closer Josh Hader hasn’t given up an earned run in his last 10 appearances, and if Soto gets hot in front of MVP candidate Machado, San Diego’s lineup could be better than New York’s. Others, like Freddie Freeman, say the ring is all that matters.ĭiGiovanna: The Mets, actually. Some players, like Clayton Kershaw, say it’s hard to call a season a failure if a team doesn’t win the championship. Dodgers Is a World Series title the Dodgers’ only definition of success? It depends who you ask ![]()
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