RSS Dodgers Team Notes

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers notes: Wild card, Shohei Ohtani, Alex Vesia, Andrew Heaney

We head into Sunday’s final day of the 2025 regular season knowing the Dodgers are the No. 3 seed in the National League playoffs, but we don’t yet know what team they will play on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

The Reds and Mets enter Sunday tied at 83-78, and Cincinnati has the tiebreaker between the two teams. If the Reds beat the Brewers or if the Mets lose to the Marlins, Cincinnati is the No. 6 seed. The Mets need both a win and a Reds loss to make the playoffs.

Expect full wild card schedules, including start times and television broadcast info, to be announced by MLB on Sunday. The league has made such announcements on the final day of the regular season in each of the last three seasons under the current playoff format.

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Mike Petriello of MLB,com delved into various ways Shohei Ohtani could be used as a two-way player this offseason, even including one or two scenarios Petriello himself called “unhinged.” Regardless of likelihood, I think my favorite scenario posited by Petriello was using Ohtani as starting pitcher, then remains in the game as a designated hitter, and he closes the game on the mound.

Alex Vesia struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth inning on Saturday, giving the left-hander a bullpen-best 80 strikeouts this season. Vesia is the only Dodgers pitcher in the last four seasons to strike out 80 batters in relief; he also struck out 87 batters in 2024.

Vesia was preceded by Blake Treinen and followed by Edgardo Henriquez on the mound on Saturday. Henriquez earned the save, giving the Dodgers 11 different pitchers with a save this season. Treinen, Vesia, and Henriquez combined to strike out the final nine Mariners batters of the game, the first time Dodgers pitchers pulled that off since Aaron Harang did so himself on April 13, 2012 against the Padres at Dodger Stadium.

Andrew Heaney pitched two innings and allowed three runs on a home run by Jorge Polanco. Called up earlier on Saturday, Heaney was the 62nd player used by the Dodgers this season, passing 2021 for most in one year in franchise history. Heaney was also the 40th pitcher used by the Dodgers in 2025, matching last year’s club record.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...d-card-shohei-ohtani-alex-vesia-andrew-heaney

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

September 28: Dodgers 6, Mariners 1

• Shohei Ohtani breaks own Dodgers record with 55th home run
• Dodgers vs. Mariners game III chat
• Dodgers call up Landon Knack, option Andrew Heaney
• Dodgers on Deck: September 28 at Mariners

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/104861/dodgers-mariners-september-28

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers in September: Starting rotation & Big 3 finish strong

Don’t judge a book by its cover, and perhaps especially so when both covers are wildly different. The Dodgers lost their first five games in September and won their last five games of the regular season. In between they were 10-5 which fueled the drive to another National League West title.

Performance was top heavy for the month, led by a deep starting rotation at its finest and three Hall of Famers on offense.

September results​

15-10 record
125 runs scored (5.00 per game, 4th in MLB)
84 runs allowed (3.36 per game, 2nd in MLB)
.674 pythagorean win percentage (17-8)

Final season stats​

93-69 record
825 runs scored (5.09 per game, 2nd in MLB)
683 runs allowed (4.22 per game, t-12th in MLB)
.586 pythagorean win percentage (95-67)

Playing in heavy rotation​

Dodgers starting pitchers began to stabilize the staff in August, and took that into hyperdrive in September. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan, and Clayton Kershaw combined for a 1.97 ERA with a 32.1-percent strikeout rate. The staff as a whole had a 30.9-percent strikeout rate, the first time ever the Dodgers struck out 30 percent of batters faced in a single month, and the first MLB team to do so since the Astros in September/October 2022.

Yamamoto came within one out of a no-hitter in his first start of the month and in his four September starts allowed only two runs on seven hits in 27 innings, with 34 strikeouts.

But while the starters were stingy, Dodgers relievers were very much not. The bullpen blew late leads in five different games, which led to four losses and Wednesday night’s 11-inning win in Arizona that set the stage for the division clinch the next day. In addition, Dodgers relievers lost a tie game in the final inning three times, with home runs against Tanner Scott (twice) and Blake Treinen.

The bullpen during September had a 5.26 ERA with a 12.9-percent walk rate, and allowed 12 home runs, compared to only four home runs given up by the rotation.

Big 3 leading the lineup​

The Dodgers were mostly without Will Smith, who had only 10 plate appearances during September and only played in one of the Dodgers’ last 23 games after suffering a hairline fracture in his right hand on a foul ball. In addition, Max Muncy and Tommy Edman each returned from the injured list but still dealt with various ailments down the stretch, combining for only .169/.244/.286 in 86 plate appearances in September.

But their other load-bearing stars led the way.

Mookie Betts was mired in the worst offensive season of his career, hitting just .231/.302/.355 with an 84 wRC+ as late as August 4. But he started to turn things around during August, and that carried over into September and then some. He hit .293/.343/.557 with six home runs and five doubles in the season’s final month, and tied for the major league lead with 23 RBI in September. That included five straight games with multiple RBI from September 6-10 that was one game shy of the Dodgers franchise record. He finished with a 104 wRC+ on the season after a strong finishing kick.

Shohei Ohtani was Mr. Reliable this season, on his way to a likely fourth MVP award. He hit 10 home runs with a 209 wRC+ in September, and along the way broke his own Dodgers home run record for the season among other marks. Freddie Freeman his six more home runs in September, hitting .271/.333/.510 with a 129 wRC+, including two home runs in last Thursday’s division clincher in Arizona.

Previous monthly reviews: April | May | June | July | August

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...yamamoto-shohei-ohtani-mookie-betts-september

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Blake Snell starts Game 1 of wild card series for Dodgers

The Dodgers will turn to left-hander Blake Snell in Game 1 of the wild card series against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium, a 6:08 p.m. start time for a game that will be televised by ESPN.

This decision could have been expected, as the Dodgers lined up Shohei Ohtani, Snell, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to pitch the three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. This lines up Snell to pitch Tuesday on five days rest. Dave Roberts said Monday that Yamamoto will start Game 2 on Wednesday, which would also be on five days rest.

When Snell signed his five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers, he mentioned looking forward to pitching in games like this.

“Being able to pitch in a packed stadium, to make moments for people, this is where you want to play,” Snell said in December. “I don’t think there’s a situation that you could be in better than being right here.”

Entering Sunday, the Reds as a team hit .229/.300/353 against left-handed pitchers with a 79 wRC+ that ranked 26th in MLB, compared to .250/.320/.403 with a 97 wRC+ against right-handers.

Snell missed four months with left shoulder inflammation, but since returning to the team in the first week of August had a 2.41 ERA and 32.7-percent strikeout rate in nine starts. Over his last three starts Snell allowed only one run in 19 innings, including scoreless starts with 11 and 12 strikeouts.

Hunter Greene starts Game 1 for the Reds and, like Snell, also pitched last Wednesday. The right-hander from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks had a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts this season, with 132 strikeouts in 107 2/3 innings. He allowed five runs (three earned runs) in five innings in a loss at Dodger Stadium on August 25.

The Dodgers won their 12th NL West title in 13 seasons, but as the NL division winner with the worst record they will be the No. 3 seed in the NL playoffs. That brings the No. 6 seed Reds to Los Angeles, where the entire best-of-three wild card series will be played.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...s/104906/dodgers-blake-snell-game-1-wild-card

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers offense can’t just be Shohei Ohtani

It was certainly something unforgettable to watch the bookend of the regular season in Seattle. I will have thoughts on Kershaw’s swan song and other shenanigans from the regular season finale later this week.

After returning to Vallejo at 2:30 am on Monday morning, I woke up six hours later with something bothering me. Yes, fatigue weighed on my brow, but something was figuratively gnawing at me. After I read Eric Stephen’s excellent (and awaited) finale of the 2025 in thirds series, I realized that something did not align with what I saw in Seattle. I had a hunch and checked BaseballReference.com, and sadly, my suspicions were confirmed.

I think everyone is rightfully pointing out the gang of figurative baseball arsonists masquerading as a bullpen as the major weakness of the 2025 Dodgers. That fiasco deserves both scorn and a deep dive whenever the season ends.

Given the inconsistencies in this season’s offense, there is a glaring oversight that everyone is overlooking.

Ground chuck, not filet mignon​

Over the last two weeks, the Dodgers have averaged above 4.85 runs per game (63 runs over 13 games) while allowing about 3.23 runs per game (42 runs over the same 13 games). That’s a dog that’ll hunt, as the team has gone 9-4 over that stretch.

Before delving into what I found, which is something that I would be shocked if the Cincinnati Reds did not already know, I should admit my bias for the sake of total clarity.

I wrote off the 2025 Dodgers after the team bungled the finale against the Toronto Blue Jays.

It is hard not to view this regular season campaign as a significant disappointment, considering the talent assembled. At least the players are publicly cognizant of that assessment. Per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register:

“I guess when this team lost back-to-back DS’s against the Padres and D-backs, that was the narrative – that the bye week cooled us, them off,” said utility man Kiké Hernandez, who was with the Boston Red Sox in 2022. “Now, we don’t have an excuse.

“We did it to ourselves. We were very inconsistent throughout the year, and here we are.”

In a season full of unexpected lows, the finale against the Blue Jays seemed to take the cake. If a team keeps finding creative ways over and over to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, eventually a fan takes the hint.

In true @slangsonsports.bsky.social fashion, the Dodgers have lost five times since moving to LA when they have been gifted both 10+ hits and 10+ walks:Today, vs. TOR (10H, 13BB)3/29/2019, vs. ARI (11H, 12BB)5/11/1982, at PHI (13H, 10BB)6/9/1978, at MON (10H, 10BB)6/29/1959, vs. SF (11H, 10BB)

— Michael Elizondo (@elidelajandro.bsky.social) 2025-08-11T05:23:14.052Z

Here is the kicker, though. The official scorer changed one of Teoscar Hernandez’s “hits” (in the seventh inning) into an error, rendering the above would-be SlangsOnSports special wrong. You be the judge.

I have seen worse called a hit, but c’est la vie. Orel Hershiser thought the dribbler was an error at the time and the scoring was changed to reflect that fact.

At that point, every indicator seemed to point to an embarrassing first-round exit. As a point of order, this essay is not a prediction essay.

Needless to say, for all the agita on that Sunday against the Blue Jays, things got so, so, so much worse. As an aside, people asked how I managed not to lose my mind over Labor Day week. Simple — when you have no expectations apart from your own, disappointment is often an impossibility. This mindset was severely tested over the course of that week.

I am not a saint. For as much glee as I have taken and will continue to take from the New York Mets, sadly, I must take my own medicine by reliving the divine comedy of this moment.

Things did turn, though. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Dodgers effectively ended the San Francisco Giants’ season and indirectly led to venerated manager Bob Melvin being fired by Gerald Posey III, just three months after exercising a contract extension.

The Homer​

Yes, the offense seems to be humming. Still, even a cursory examination of slash lines during this period reveals that the offense is coming from fewer sources than you would generally think. While folks are raving about a perceived return to form, the stats do not support that description.

This offense, when in full swing, was supposed to overwhelm opponents off the field. While the team has been winning lately, I could not escape the feeling that the timing was still off. I was expecting a sports car offense for most of the year, and yet for large stretches this year, it has been well, anything but:

For the 13 games to close out the year, the offense has had the following slash lines:

• Shohei Ohtani: (12 games) 14 for 48, 4 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 9 RBI, 6 BB, 18 K; .292/.370/.792
• Mookie Betts: (12 games) 9 for 45, 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 8 K; .200/.250/.356
• Freddie Freeman: (12 games) 12 for 42, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 6 BB, 9 K; .286/.388/.571
• Teoscar Hernández: (11 games) 8 for 40, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 8 K; .200/.273/.375
• Michael Conforto: (9 games) 5 for 28, HR, 2 RBI, 5 BB, 10 K; .179/.303/.286
• Andy Pages: (13 games) 13 for 48, 4 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 12 K; .271/.300/.542
• Kiké Hernandez: (9 games) 8 for 26, 3 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, BB, 7 K; .308/.321/.654
• Hyeseong Kim: (5 games) 2 for 9, HR, 2 RBI, 4 K; .222/.222/.556
• Miguel Rojas: (11 games) 9 for 34, HR, RBI, BB, 8 K; .265/.286/.441
• Ben Rortvedt: (9 games) 3 for 24, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 5 K; .125/.192/.250
• Tommy Edman: (8 games) 6 for 30, HR, 3 RBI, 3 K; .200/.194/.300
• Max Muncy: (7 games) 3 for 23, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB, 8 K; .130/.200/.391
• Dalton Rushing: (5 games) 5 for 14, HR, 3 RBI, 3 K; .357/.357/.643
• Alex Call: (10 games) 4 for 15, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K; .267/.333/.533

In case anyone forgot, a batting average of under .200 is bad, an on-base percentage over .330 is good, and a slugging percentage of .500 is good. As you can see, the offense is quite lopsided as of late. It is unfortunate that the team did not bolster its depth at the deadline.

David Vassegh reported that some interesting names now had lockers at Dodger Stadium on Monday.

Esteury Ruiz, Justin Dean, and Ben Casparius have lockers at Dodger Stadium. #Dodgers #Reds

— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) September 29, 2025

I see speed and more speed…and somehow less defense. This lineup also misses Will Smith terribly, but maybe Rushing can do some damage if given the opportunity. Personally, Rortvedt nearly calling multiple no-hitters carries some weight.

Right now, in the shortest of short series, if I am Terry Francona, I do not let Ohtani, Freeman, K. Hernandez, or Pages beat me. I make Betts, T. Hernandez, or Conforto do it. And if they can, especially Conforto, who is comically bad when it comes to clutch situations in 2025 (.143 with runners in scoring position and two outs), you tip your cap.

For everyone raving about Betts’ return to classic form, in Seattle, I could not help but notice his bad habits at the plate re-emerging: when he’s off, the pop-ups are high and plentiful, and they were. Teoscar needed an oar to swing at some of the pitches he was offering at in Seattle.

As I have said, this essay is not a predictive one. Maybe the Dodgers live up to their potential and steamroll the postseason tournament. If you tell me from the future that the Dodgers repeat, I would not be surprised. I would probably be equal parts glad and annoyed, considering the inconsistency that the team foisted on us all during the year.

But if you tell me that the Dodgers flounder in the Wild Card round against this opponent, I would be nothing short of shocked.

The fruits of expanded playoffs​

If you keep expanding the playoffs, eventually the cream stops rising to the top. If we are being honest with ourselves, the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds have no business playing playoff baseball in 2025. The Tigers’ collapse is the stuff of legend and will likely be rectified by the Cleveland Guardians.

The Dodgers might have struggled against a New York Mets team that got its act together or a pesky Arizona Diamondbacks squad that was playing with house money. The Giants would not have merited this essay. But the Reds are the beneficiaries of a historic bungling in Queens and are a poster child for the mediocrity the owners want to see in the playoffs.

The Reds are the first team in MLB history to have:

no qualifying batter hit .270
no batter hit 25 homers
no pitcher win 15 games
no pitcher notch 200 strikeouts

…in a non-shortened season and yet still make the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/5qESbdIRuq

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) September 29, 2025

I am not being unjustifiably dismissive. Over the last month, the Mets were 10-15 and missed just about every opportunity to save their sinking season. The Reds were 14-11, not bad, but certainly not playing on fire. That description would apply to the Guardians (20-7), Yankees (18-7, uh oh), Phillies (17-8, double uh oh), and Mariners (17-8).

As an aside, why the Mariners took this last weekend off with the first-round bye is a puzzler.

For as unbalanced as this series between the Dodgers and Reds is on paper, the Reds have at least a puncher’s chance to knock out the Dodgers at home, thanks to the team’s mismanagement of its summer. The Wild Card Series is the dividend of every boneheaded loss caused by a consistently inconsistent squad. Whether the Dodgers will have the opportunity to exact revenge against the Phillies is a question that will quickly resolve itself over the next three days.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-news-notes/104983/dodgers-offense-questions-wild-card

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

No one told the Dodger offense that the playoffs are about pitching

Pitching, pitching, pitching. That was the storyline in baseball until the Dodger offense took the field and decided to show not why this team was favored to beat the Reds, but why it was widely considered the leading contender to win the World Series at the beginning of the year. Los Angeles faced one of the many aces that started a game this first day of the Wild Card round and simply ran Hunter Greene out of the building with a parade of long balls against him and the Reds’ bullpen.

In a short series, time is not on your side as the superior team, but Shohei Ohtani got that memo, helping Los Angeles take a lead they’d never relinquish with a solo homer in the top of the first.

LEADOFF HOMER? SHO OFF. pic.twitter.com/xD0rUBoRHB

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 1, 2025

It was difficult even tracking a missile that left Ohtani’s bat at over 117 MPH before it went over the wall. It was the fourth-hardest-hit long ball in the postseason since the beginning of the Statcast era, trailing only Giancarlo Stanton, Kyle Schwarber, and a previous Ohtani homer. Further enhancing the absurdity of that homer, it came on a Hunter Greene fastball clocked at 100.4 MPH.

Greene never truly settled in, but after that Ohtani homer, there were a couple of moments in which it looked like the Dodgers would let him off the hook. This would have allowed for the game to carry on with a low score like every single other postseason matchup so far, with runners being stranded in both the first and second innings. Ultimately, the firepower of the Dodger offense prevailed, and Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman went back-to-back to already blow this game wide open in the third.

Something is intriguing about Hernández and Edman batting next to each other because. Although they’re completely different players, there is a parallel to make between them as noted X factors of the Dodgers’ offense. Partially due to injuries, but also some unexpected inconsistencies, both Edman and Hernández didn’t quite perform to the level expected from them throughout the year. Their performance in the previous postseason played a massive part in helping the Dodgers secure the World Series title, and if they are to go far this time around, they’ll need the likes of these two and other complementary quality players to step up as well. That will make the difference between this offense simply carrying its weight or being a full-on juggernaut.

Despite the 5-0 lead after three, the Dodgers’ offense never fully stopped, and it’s a good thing that it didn’t. Already having homered in this game, neither Ohtani nor Hernandez was done, and they went on to become only the fifth duo in the history of the sport to go deep for the same team in a postseason game. Interestingly enough, three of the previous four times came since 2020. Credit to Sarah Langs for the info.

The Dodgers are the 5th team in postseason history with 2 players with a multi-HR game in the same postseason game, along with:

2023 NLDS G3 Phillies: Nick Castellanos & Bryce Harper
2021 NLCS G5 Dodgers: AJ Pollock & Chris Taylor
2020 NLWCS G2 Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr & Wil… https://t.co/DYP0PQbN92

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 1, 2025

It’s not always that the difference between two teams shows up quite so dramatically. However, having hit 77 more home runs than the Reds during the regular season, the Dodgers showed their superior power by outhomering Cincinnati five-to-zero in what was the only comfortable win of this first day of postseason play.

As it turns out, due to the bullpen struggles in the eighth inning, the Dodgers needed every bit of those 10 runs, not necessarily to win the game, but to avoid what was a sense of uneasiness from turning into genuine fear. At one point late in this one, the Reds managed to have the tying run on deck, but that was as close as it got in this 10-5 Dodger win, due in large part to the power of this outstanding lineup.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...dgers-offense-win-wild-card-round-game-1-reds

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers Game 2 lineup: Kiké Hernández starts, Tommy Edman sits

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers’ starting lineup in Game 2 of their wild card series against the Cincinnati Reds has only one change from Game 1. Kiké Hernández is back in left field, but Miguel Rojas starts in place of Tommy Edman at second base on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

Both Hernández and Edman exited Game 1 early while dealing with nagging injuries. Edman, who has dealt with right ankle issues all season, was removed after five innings on Tuesday night. Hernández experienced back tightness, and was pinch-hit for in the seventh inning.

Game 2.

Tonight’s #Dodgers Wild Card Series lineup vs. Reds: pic.twitter.com/9069wUUEWS

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 1, 2025

Both players were remove while the score was lopsided, as the Dodgers led 6-0 when Edman came out of the game in favor of Miguel Rojas, and were up 8-2 when Alex Call pinch-hit for Hernández.

Manager Dave Roberts after Game 1 said both removals were out of precaution.

“Whenever we can get him off it, to get him ready for the next day, that’s what we’re going to do,” he said of Edman, who missed a total of 49 games on two ankle-related injury-list stints during the regular season.

Edman aggravated the ankle injury while making a diving catch on September 24 against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix, and didn’t play the field for the final four games of the regular season, making his lone start over the weekend as designated hitter in Seattle. The ankle injury makes it unlikely he will in the outfield at least for this series, instead sticking at second base for now, when he plays.

“I think for us, the best chance to keep him going and strong right now is to limit the amount of movement in the outfield,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Tuesday. “Hopefully we’ll get some days and keep going, and it progressively gets better and better, and it kind of opens that up. But right now we’re erring on the side of caution.”

Before exiting on Tuesday, both Edman and Hernández had productive Games 1. Edman homered — one of five Dodgers home runs to match a team postseason record — and Hernández singled twice in three at-bats and scored a run.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-news-notes/105107/dodgers-playoffs-game-2-lineup

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Terry Francona, and intentionally walking Shohei Ohtani to get to Mookie Betts

LOS ANGELES — There’s nothing appealing about an intentional walk, a strategic act of surrender to potentially escape an unpleasant situation. The Reds were in such dire straits late in Game 2 on Wednesday night against the Dodgers.

Los Angeles was already up five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, and Cincinnati only had six outs to go on offense to try to make up the deficit. A Miguel Rojas single and Ben Rortvedt sacrifice bunt put a runner in scoring position with one out, capping a productive night for the bottom of the Dodgers lineup, with the 7-8-9 batters totaling six hits and five runs scored.

Right-hander Tony Santillan was pitching for the Reds and due up was Shohei Ohtani, already with three hits and two home runs in the series.

Reds manager Terry Francona was even asked about this type of situation before Game 2, whether he would intentionally walk Ohtani with first base open and runner(s) in scoring position.

“You’re kidding, right? Have you heard of Mookie Betts or Freddie Freeman?” Francona said. “I think it would be a very poor decision. He’s a really dangerous hitter. He also struck out 185 times this year. That’s where we have to get to. You start walking people in that lineup and you’re asking for trouble.”

We can use a run expectancy table to figure out the math of an average situation based on runner(s) on base and number of outs, to determine the average number of runs to expect in the rest of the frame. Back in May at FanGraphs, Ben Clemens took a stab at updating run expectancy tables for recent years. Using 2025 numbers to that point, having a runner on second base with one out leads to an average of 0.67 runs for the rest of the inning. Runners on first and second base with one out leads to 0.96 runs. Using the 2021-24 numbers, a runner on second with one out yields 0.71 runs, and runners on first and second with one out leads to 0.94 runs.

With an intentional walk, you’re putting yourself in a worse spot in hopes of getting a more favorable batter-pitcher matchup or maybe trying to induce a double play. A last-ditch effort of desperation in a rough situation.

We’ve seen this a lot since Ohtani joined the Dodgers, giving them three Hall of Famers atop the lineup instead of three. Dave Roberts in 2024 referred to intentional walks as “picking your poison,” especially with Ohtani, Betts, and Freeman lumped together.

Betts went through the worst slump of his career this season, but rebounded to still be an above-average hitter, just not at the level of Ohtani. Betts understood the choice Francona made, to walk Ohtani and face Betts.

“I wouldn’t let Shohei swing either. I understand. I expect the Phillies to do it. I expect for the rest of the postseason for it to happen,” Betts said. “I understand the situation of the game. So I just gotta be ready to do my thing.”

Betts did in fact do his thing in Game 2. After Ohtani got the free pass, Betts lined a double into the left field corner to score Rojas, giving the Dodgers’ their eighth run of the night. It capped off a four-hit, three-RBI night for Betts, including a Dodgers-record-tying three doubles.

Four hits, three doubles for Mookie Betts@Dodgers are ROLLING! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/xIgTKg74w5

— MLB (@MLB) October 2, 2025

This season, including the playoffs, Ohtani has been intentionally walked 21 times, 18 of them with Betts as the next batter. Betts has six hits, including three doubles in 16 at-bats plus two walks in those situations, with eight runs batted in.

“If there’s a man on base and Shohei’s up, I’m anticipating an intentional walk,” Betts said. “So, if they do, cool, I’ll be ready to go. If they don’t, gotta deal with Shohei. Kind of it is what it is.”

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...-shohei-ohtani-intential-walks-terry-francona

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers vs. Phillies National League Division Series schedule

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers dispatched the Reds in two games in the wild card round, which earned them a berth in the National League Division Series for the 13th year in a row. Up next are the Phillies, who will host the first two games of the NLDS beginning on Saturday evening at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

The Phillies won the NL East with 96 wins to earn the No. 2 seed in the NL playoffs, three games better than the NL West-winning Dodgers, the No. 3 seed with 93 victories.

Major League Baseball on Thursday announced the schedule for the first two days of the Division Series round, with Game 1 of Dodgers-Phillies set to start at 3:38 p.m. PT on Saturday, followed by Game 2 at 3:08 p.m. PT on Monday.

Dodgers vs. Phillies NLDS schedule​

Game 1: Saturday, October 4 at Philadelphia, 3:38 p.m. PT (TBS)
Game 2: Monday, October 6 at Philadelphia, 3:08 p.m. (TBS)
Game 3: Wednesday, October 8 at Los Angeles, time TBA (TBS)
Game 4*: Thursday, October 9 at Los Angeles, time TBA (TBS)
Game 5*: Saturday, October 11 at Philadelphia, time TBA (TBS)
*if necessary

TBS will televise both National League Division Series, with an alternate telecast on truTV, and streaming on HBO Max.

MLB starts both National League and American League Division Series on the same day, then insert an off day for one league to stagger the remainder of the series, to minimize the potential days with no baseball. This year, the NL has the odd non-travel off day in between Games 1 and 2. So Dodgers vs. Phillies if it does the distance will have three off days instead of two.

The Dodgers lost both series to the Phillies during the regular season, dropping two of three games in Philadelphia from April 4-6, then losing two of three games at Dodger Stadium from September 15-17.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-schedule/105080/dodgers-phillies-nlds-schedule-2025

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers-Phillies NLDS will be televised by TBS

Under the current national television contracts that run through 2028, TBS and Fox alternate leagues in broadcasting the Division Series and League Championship Series. This year, TBS has the National League side of the playoffs, which means Dodgers vs. Phillies will be televised by TBS.

Brian Anderson and Jeff Francoeur will call the Dodgers-Phillies NLDS, along with reporter Lauren Shehadi on the telecasts. All TBS postseason games will be simulcast on truTV and HBO Max as well.

Game 1 for Dodgers vs. Phillies starts at 3:38 p.m. PT on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, with a fantastic pitching matchup of Shohei Ohtani and Cristopher Sánchez in the opener.

TBS will also have a studio show for pregame and postgame coverage throughout the NLDS and NLCS, with Adam Lefkoe hosting alongside analysts Pedro Martínez, Curtis Granderson, and Jimmy Rollins, coincidentally all three of whom played for the Dodgers (plus Rollins and Martínez with the Phillies as well). On Saturday, the pregame studio show on TBS begins at 10 a.m. PT, an hour ahead of the start of Brewers vs. Cubs Game 1 in Milwaukee.

National radio coverage of the Dodgers vs. Phillies NLDS will be handled by ESPN Radio, with Dave O’Brien on play-by-play and Jessica Mendoza as analyst.

Unlike television broadcasts, there are local options on the radio for the remainder of the postseason. Stephen Nelson and Rick Monday will be on the call for all Dodgers games on AM 570, with Spanish-language radio broadcasts of Dodgers games on KTNQ 1020 AM with Pepe Yñiquez, José Mota, and Luis Cruz.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...05203/dodgers-phillies-nlds-tbs-tv-espn-radio

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers notes: Roki Sasaki, Kiké Hernández, NLDS vs. Phillies

Roki Sasaki was originally signed by the Dodgers to be a part of the starting rotation, not the bullpen.

Eight starts into his big league career, and Sasaki posted less than pedestrian results, dealing with command issues before being placed on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement. It took four months and a season-long catastrophic display from the bullpen for Sasaki to make his return to the Dodgers, and in his playoff audition, he finally showed Dodger fans and the baseball world why he was so highly coveted last offseason.

And in his postseason debut, pitching in the ninth inning for the first time in his career, he set the Cincinnati Reds down in order to send the Dodgers to the NLDS to set up a date with the Philadelphia Phillies.

As the Dodgers continue to assemble their pitching staff against Philadelphia, the question now concerns which pitcher will be the man to tack on the high leverage innings out of the bullpen, and Sasaki just might be the guy, writes Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

“I trust him, and he’s going to be pitching in leverage,” Roberts said. “I don’t think the moment’s going to be too big for Roki.”

Links​

When the calendar flips to the month of October, Kiké Hernández transforms from a below-league average depth option to one of the greatest postseason hitters in baseball history. The trend has continued this year, as Hernández logged four hits in the Dodgers two-game sweep of the Reds in the Wild Card series.

What has helped Hernández produce in a big way in the postseason is the chance to have a fresh start, considering that he hasn’t been a league-average hitter in the regular season since 2021, notes Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times.

“The beautiful thing about the postseason is that once we get to the postseason, everything starts at zero. You can have a bad year and you flip the script and you start over in the postseason. You have a good postseason, help the team win, and nobody ever remembers what you did in the regular season.”

The Dodgers and Phillies finally meet again in the postseason for the first time since Philadelphia took a second straight NLCS from the Dodgers in 2009.

The Phillies took four of six from the Dodgers this season, and despite the Dodgers finishing with a worse record compared to Philadelphia, Dave Roberts is still confident in his team’s ability in repeating as championships, with the Phillies series being the next obstacle in their way, writes Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register.

“I think we can win it all,” Roberts said. “We’re equipped to do that, we have the pedigree and we have the hunger and we’re playing great baseball.”

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...oki-sasaki-enrique-hernandez-nlds-vs-phillies

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers set Division Series rotation vs. Phillies

The Dodgers taking care of the Reds in two games instead of three, coupled with the extra day off in the National League Division Series, allowed them to lineup their starting rotation in a number of ways against the Phillies. We know Shohei Ohtani starts on Saturday in Game 1, but after that they will run it back with Blake Snell in Game 2 on Monday in Philadelphia then Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 3 on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Snell, who struck out nine in seven innings against the Reds on Tuesday, will be on five days rest for Game 2 against the Phillies on Monday. Yamamoto after striking out nine in 6 2/3 innings on Wednesday in the wild card round, will be on six days rest next Wednesday against the Phillies.

Roberts also said Tyler Glasnow would be available in relief in Game 1 against the Phillies, which would line him up to start Game 4 if necessary. Glasnow was active in the wild card round but did not pitch against the Reds.

Given that there would be three off days if the NLDS goes the distance, the Dodgers would also have options in Game 5 on Saturday, October 11. Either Ohtani could pitch again on six days rest, or Snell could start on four days rest if they needed him.

Roster notes​

Roberts reiterated what he and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said in Los Angeles, that Clayton Kershaw will be active in the NLDS and pitch in the bullpen. If the Dodgers carry 13 pitchers — which they’ve done in each of their last six series of at least five games — they would also add another reliever after carrying 11 pitchers for the short wild card round.

Then it becomes who is preferred between the left-handed Anthony Banda or right-handed Ben Casparius.

Carrying 13 pitchers would require dropping two position players from the 15 who were active against the Reds. Late-inning outfield defensive specialist Justin Dean and utility speedster Hyeseong Kim are candidates here, or the Dodgers could carry only two catchers instead of three. The latter, however unlikely, would require Will Smith to be able to catch, which might take until Saturday morning to decide after how Smith comes out of Friday night batting practice in Philadelphia.

View Link

“He will be available to catch. Just trying to be mindful of haven’t caught in a long time and then kind of looking at the series and the capacity he can take on,” Roberts said of Smith. “So those are things that are kind of going through our heads right now.”

Smith has started only once in the last month after suffering a hairline fracture in his right hand. Friedman on Tuesday explained the steps of Smith finally being able to get back behind the plate.

“Last week he had a hard time gripping things. That progressively got better and got to a place where the bone had to heal. Now it’s about getting strength back, and once you do that then it’s about throwing,” Friedman said. “We were able to keep his legs going, but he hasn’t had that throwing volume for a little while. Now we have to keep continuing to aggressively layer that on.”

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...05197/dodgers-pitching-rotation-nlds-phillies

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Shohei Ohtani & Dodgers postseason starting pitching streaks

Shohei Ohtani’s first career postseason pitching start went well, overcoming a second-inning blip to pitch six innings, earning the win as the Dodgers took Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday over the Phillies.

He also struck out nine, joining Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to give the Dodgers three consecutive postseason starts with at least nine strikeouts for the first time in franchise history, a body of work that spanes 295 games.

The only other time in franchise history the Dodgers got even eight strikeouts three postseason starts in a row came five years ago at the start of the 2020 postseason. Walker Buehler struck out eight in Game 1 of the wild card round, Clayton Kershaw struck out 13 in Game 2, then Buehler started the NLDS with another eight strikeouts.

Snell, Yamamoto, and Ohtani are also the first Dodgers starting pitchers with three quality starts in a row since Zack Greinke, Hyun-jin Ryu, and Clayton Kershaw in Games 2-4 of the 2014 NLDS. Even with good starts it doesn’t guarantee success, and the Dodgers lost the final two of those games to get eliminated.

This year, the Dodgers have won all three games and the starting pitcher was credited with the win in all three games. They hadn’t done that since sweeping the Cubs in the 2008 NLDS, with Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda turning the trick.

Ohtani has now gone six innings in each of his last two starts, after getting capped at five innings through the first 13 starts of his comeback from elbow surgery.

During the postgame media session Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park, Ohtani was asked why it was so important to return to pitching, to be a two-way player again.

“The reason why it’s a two-way player is because it’s who I am, it’s what I can do,” Ohtani said, through interpreter Will Ireton, ”and also at the same time it’s what the team wants.”

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...05302/shohei-ohtani-dodgers-starting-pitching

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers notes: Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, Teoscar Hernández, Tyler Glasnow

The Dodgers are up 1-0 in the National League Division Series after Saturday night’s win over the Phillies in Game 1. Shohei Ohtani kept the Dodgers’ starting pitching train rolling with nine strikeouts in his six innings in his first ever pitching start.

Ohtani also added four strikeouts at the plate, just the 12th such game by a Dodgers hitter in the postseason, and the first since Chris Taylor in Game 4 of the 2024 NLDS.

---

Roki Sasaki got the final three outs of Game 1, earning his first professional save. He’s the sixth Dodger to record their first major league save during the postseason. The others:

• Mike Garman, 1977 NLCS Game 3
• Clayton Kershaw, 2016 NLDS Game 5
• Brusdar Graterol, 2020 wild card Game 2
• Max Scherzer, 2021 NLDS Game 5
• Walker Buehler, 2024 World Series Game 5
• Roki Sasaki, 2025 NLDS Game 1

Here’s Dave Roberts from after the game on his late-game bullpen choices, with Tyler Glasnow, followed by Alex Vesia, then Sasaki, from Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register:

“Honestly, I could have gone to a couple other guys in those spots,” Roberts said. “But just kind of knowing who I’ve got, I felt good about those guys we ran out there.”

Ohtani and Sasaki combined to become the first Japanese-born starter and reliever to earn the win and save in the same postseason game in major league history, as noted by Brent Maguire of MLB.com.

Links​

More from Teoscar Hernández on his game-winning home run, in Dan Gelston’s recap at Associated Press.

Tyler Glasnow talked about his first relief appearance since 2018, from the Los Angeles Times.

Michael Baumann at FanGraphs expertly recapped Game 1, and also set the scene at Citizens Bank Park during pregame introductions: “I’d never seen the most popular athlete in North American sports get booed so loud you couldn’t hear the public address system.”

More on the Dodgers facing the Phillies formidable starting rotation, from Plunkett at the Orange County Register.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...shohei-ohtani-teoscar-hernandez-tyler-glasnow

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Teoscar Hernández home run completes Dodgers comeback over Phillies in Game 1

Game 1 of the National League Division Series lived up to the hype, with an excellent starting pitching battle between two of the best teams in baseball. Teoscar Hernández atoned for an early misplay on defense with a three-run home run that gave the Dodgers a 5-3 win over the Phillies on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Down a run in the seventh inning, Andy Pages singled and Will Smith was hit by a pitch from David Robertson to open the frame before Matt Strahm got two outs. That set up Hernández, who hit a ball into the right field seats for a game-turning three-run home run.

TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ. pic.twitter.com/m9yiRwPmrh

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 5, 2025

Hernández’s third home run in three games this postseason completed a comeback from an early 3-0 deficit.

The first three Phillies reached against Shohei Ohtani in the second inning, including a hit by JT Realmuto into the right field gap that was played horribly by Teoscar Hernández into a two-run triple.

TWO-RUN TRIPLE FOR J.T. REALMUTO!

THE @PHILLIES STRIKE FIRST! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/xXmCURKk5r

— MLB (@MLB) October 4, 2025

The misplay by Hernández — who was tied for 106th with minus-12 Outs Above Average among 110 qualified outfielders this season — and laborious backup by Andy Pages put Realmuto on third base with no outs, leading to a third run in the inning even as Ohtani retired the next three hitters.

The blip didn’t faze Ohtani on the mound, as he retired 15 of his final 17 batters faced to get through six innings without allowing anything else. Ohtani in his six innings struck out nine and allowed those three second-inning runs. Hernández’s home run put him in line for the win.

Cristopher Sánchez dominated the Dodgers for most of the night with eight strikeouts, and didn’t allow any runs until the sixth inning. A walk and single with two outs kept the inning alive, then Kiké Hernández lined a double into the left field corner to score both Freddie Freeman and Tommy Edman, getting the Dodgers to within a run.

Sánchez in his previous two starts against the Dodgers this season threw his changeup only 22.6 percent of the time, but unleashed it 40.4 percent of the time in Game 1, and got 12 of his 18 swinging strikes on the pitch, keeping the Dodgers off balance most of the night. The double by Hernández came on a slider, Sánchez’s final pitch.

Kiké Hernández has five hits in 12 at-bats (.417) in the first three games this postseason, with two doubles and three runs batted in.

With Ohtani out after six innings and 89 pitches, the Dodgers turned to arguably their greatest strength — more starting pitching. In came Tyler Glasnow, who pitched three innings in the previous 13 days, and with a potential Game 4 start still five days away. That set the stage for an extended outing for Glasnow, and he did get five outs. But two singles and a walk in the eighth loaded the bases with two outs, ending any hopes of a three-inning save.

The Dodgers had to settle for a regular save opportunity, and instead brought in actual reliever Alex Vesia, who got righty pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa to fly out for one giant exhale, and a lead preserved.

Roki Sasaki came into a clean ninth and worked around a one-out double to record his first professional save. Starting pitchers got 26 of 27 outs in Game 1

Things got a little messy at times, but the Dodgers found a way to win. Now they’re up 1-0 in the best-of-5 NLDS.

NLDS Game 1 particulars​

Home run: Teoscar Hernández (3)

WP — Shohei Ohtani (1-0): 6 IP, 3 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts

LP — David Robertson (0-1): 1/3 IP, 1 hit, 2 runs

Sv — Roki Sasaki (1): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 strikeout

Up next​

Blake Snell makes his second start of the postseason in Game 2 in Philadelphia on Monday night (3:08 p.m. PT; TBS, truTV, HBO Max), in a battle of left-handers against Jesús Luzardo for the Phillies.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...rnandez-home-run-dodgers-phillies-nlds-game-1

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

How to make sure True Blue LA shows up in your Google search

As many of you are likely aware, Google searches are … different these days.

When you search for a Shohei Ohtani home run or his latest record set, or if you’re trying to find highlights of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, often times you’ll see an AI result at the top of the page, then a series of results that aren’t quite what you’re looking for. That’s not what you want.

The good news is Google is offering a solution for folks who like to get their news from specific sources. If you want to help True Blue LA — while also streamlining all your Google searches — there is now a way.

Simply click on this link and add True Blue as one of your “Source preferences.” That’s all there is to it!

Back in August, the tech giant debuted a feature called “Preferred Sources.” It’s a way for Google to prominently feature the results from websites you trust, like True Blue LA:

“With the launch of Preferred Sources in the U.S. and India, you can select your favorite sources and stay up to date on the latest content from the sites you follow and subscribe to — whether that’s your favorite sports blog or a local news outlet. …

When you select your preferred sources, you’ll start to see more of their articles prominently displayed within Top Stories, when those sources have published fresh and relevant content for your search.“

As some of you might know, AI searches are hurting outlets around the world and in all spaces. We’ve worked hard at True Blue LA to build a brand you can trust and rely on for Dodgers coverage. Our goal is to serve you, the fans.

If you’re a fan of our work and want to get the best Dodgers coverage possible, this is an excellent win-win to improve your Google searches while helping True Blue LA out.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/general/...e-true-blue-la-shows-up-in-your-google-search

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers Notes: Roki Sasaki, Clayton Kershaw, Alex Vesia

Roki Sasaki had a tough start with the Dodgers this year. He managed shoulder injuries, velocity issues, and the usual hiccups of transitioning to a new league, but the team’s staff stuck with him. Now, they’re being rewarded.

In September, Sasaki and Dodgers director of pitching Rob Hill and other pitching staff for an in-depth meeting all about Sasaki’s routines, challenges, and even past pitching advice, according to Jeff Passan at ESPN. They left with an agenda: develop a collaborative and personalized plan for mechanical adjustments and get Sasaki back on track.

“It can happen quick if you just align the joints in the right way, especially with a guy who’s already produced a crazy amount of velo in his life,” Hill said.

And as it turns out, that’s all it took. The team figured out that Sasaki’s pelvis was rotating too early and suggested he try out out a new set position for his back leg that would stabilize his body and maximize energy transfer. The results were nearly instant, and Sasaki quickly reached up to 97 mph on his fastball in bullpen sessions—a welcome sight given his previous decline in speed. That velocity has only improved since then, topping 100 mph in recent outings.

Now, Sasaki is making one more change, entering the bullpen for the postseason. He took the mound for his first relief outing with Triple-A Oklahoma City on September 18, striking out two, then pitched in relief back in the majors twice in three days. After striking out four, he’s become the Dodgers’ unofficial closer.

“The fun part about relieving,” Sasaki said, “is the opportunity to be able to contribute to the game, to the team every day.”

Dodgers Notes​

Clayton Kershaw is finishing out his career in the bullpen, and he’s not the first Dodger to do so, writes Bill Shaikin at the Los Angeles Times. Greg Maddux did the same thing — coincidentally, during Kershaw’s postseason debut.

No MLB team has won consecutive World Series since the New York Yankees from 1998 to 2000, and there have only been 14 instances total of that feat happening, writes Dayn Perry at CBS Sports. The odds are against the Dodgers, but maybe they can pull it off.

It’s a high-tech world, and pitchers are feeling the added pressures of digital eyes everywhere. Andy McCullough, Dennis Lin, and Cody Stavenhagen at The Athletic took a deep dive into the subtleties of spotting and preventing pitch tipping, including how the Dodgers spotted Alex Vesia’s quirky tell.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...-notes-roki-sasaki-clayton-kershaw-alex-vesia

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

One big inning was just enough to win Game 2

After two games of Divisional Series play, three teams hold a commanding 2-0 lead: the Blue Jays, Brewers, and Dodgers. The comparisons between these clubs reveal entirely different paths, as the Blue Jays and Brewers have more thoroughly thumped the Yankees and Cubs, respectively, while the Dodgers have gotten on the winning end of some closely contested matches, overcoming all kinds of adversities. Out of the many aspects to highlight as Los Angeles was able to take this second game for a commanding series lead over the Phillies, you have this team’s innate ability to pounce when the opportunity arises—the so-called big inning, which made the difference in both wins.

From a very rudimentary point of view, anyone who was able to watch the first two games in their entirety would not dispute the argument that the Phillies’ starting pitcher has dominated the Dodgers’ lineup. Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo did all that could be expected out of them, and then some, putting up nothing but zeroes through five innings. This was particularly alarming as contrary to the Dodgers, the Phillies’ bullpen didn’t necessarily enter this series as an accident waiting to happen. Although it’s had more than its fair share of bumps along the way, a primary issue for the Phillies’ relievers has been the fact that they’re being put in difficult situations.

Momentum is a tough thing to quantify, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the Dodgers have seized it in both games. After scoring all five of their runs in Game 1 across a couple of innings, the Dodgers were even more concise, stacking four runs in one frame in Game 2. Los Angeles even went about it in a very similar way, getting to the opposing starter late in their performance and then pouncing on a bullpen with its back against the wall, trying to limit the damage.

Jesús Luzardo was absolutely cruising through six, and if you remove yourself from the stakes of a scoreless tie, down 1-0 in a five-game series, it’s incredibly feasible to argue he should’ve stayed out there with 82 pitches, particularly when you account for how dominant Luzardo usually is the third time through the order. However, unlike Roberts, who is basically forced into riding his starters over a lack of trust in the bullpen, the Phillies have options.

In the end, and here is where the whole argument of opportunity meeting readiness comes into play, the Dodgers were able to capitalize on that situation, even if, in theory, the Phillies’ bullpen did a remarkable job to potentially get out of the frame. When Orion Kerkering came into the game, the Dodgers had a ridiculous chance to score one, if not multiple runs, with runners at second and third and no outs. Very nearly, they scored none. It was a Teoscar Hernández good baserunning play, combined with a less-than-ideal throw from Trea Turner, that made the difference in the whole inning.

View Link

For as much as we can praise Teoscar Hernández’s ability to get around the tag, he should’ve been out with a better throw from Trea Turner, and he still should’ve tried to score, this being a calculated risk. Obviously, it’s not an easy play, but if you flip the script, this game was filled with noticeable defensive efforts from the Dodgers at different levels that helped secure the victory. Even beyond the crucial wheel play to get Nick Castellanos out at third in the ninth, Freddie Freeman put on a defensive clinic in that frame. There was the Max Kepler forceout at second, in which it’s questionable if they get him at first with the way Alex Vesia came off the mound and where that ball took Freeman. You had the Freeman scoop at first after a low throw for the final out. All of these required a decent level of difficulty, and making every single one of them was the difference in helping the Dodgers win. Turner couldn’t make it when it was his turn for the Phillies.

To further highlight the impact of that moment, in a world where the Dodgers don’t do anything different, but Philly completes that play as it had to, the Phillies realistically could’ve gotten out of the inning because the Will Smith two-run knock didn’t come until there were two outs in the inning. No one is a fan of this type of revisionist history, and who knows what actually happens if Hernández is called out. Still, the truth of the matter is that there is very little reason to have expected a better outcome from Pages against Kerkering in what would’ve been a situation of much greater pressure than the one he popped out in.

Circling back to what did happen, while the run scored by Hernández was massive, the lack of an out there was even bigger, as it allowed for Will Smith’s turn to come in the ninth hole (Smith had already entered the game as a pinch-hitter earlier on). Smith prevailed, and then Ohtani, the hitter, had his first moment in the series, getting to Matt Strahm to make it 4-0. As it turns out, Los Angeles needed every bit of those four runs to secure a Game 2 win.

A part of being a great team is getting a break and taking advantage of it. The Phillies caught a break when Dave Roberts inexplicably went to Blake Treinen over Roki Sasaki in the ninth. Maybe they caught one when Roberts gave Sheehan one more inning, which saw him pitch crucial at-bats against Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper over a lefty like Alex Vesia. One could even say the little squibbler from Kiké Hernández was a mini-break, given he is the postseason star we’ve come to know and love. Other than pounding on Treinen, they couldn’t quite capitalize, while the Dodgers made the most out of their sole opportunity.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...ers-offense-teoscar-hernandez-win-game-2-nlds

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers have the NLDS for the taking in Game 3; don’t let it slip

The Dodgers have to win Game 3. This is a weird statement for a team leading 2-0 in a best-of-five, but there are reasons behind it other than simply wanting the series wrapped up as soon as possible. While the comfort of getting three shots at winning just one game is soothing, the way this series has lined up, the next game is undeniably the most manageable one, and the degree of difficulty will only increase.

First and foremost, the pitching matchup in Game 3 is not only the most favorable for either side across any potential duel in this series but also one of the more favorable ones in the entire postseason landscape. Out of all their elite starters, none had a better year for the Dodgers than Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who finished the year strong (0.67 ERA in September) and pitched quite well against the Reds in the Wild Card round. On the other side, for a reason we can only speculate on, the Phillies decided to use Aaron Nola and his 6.00+ ERA over the highly more productive Ranger Suárez, who also happens to have far superior postseason numbers (Suárez: 1.43 ERA in 37.2 IP, Nola: 4.02 ERA in 53.2 IP). Asked about it, Rob Thomson pointed out that Suárez will probably get in the game, and Nola feels more comfortable starting, as some of the reasons behind this decision. While that’s plausible, you’d also figure you’d just go with your best starter this year, as any margin for error is long gone. Nola has enough of a track record that you wouldn’t be stunned if he had a terrific outing, but certainly surprised.

If you’re on the Dodgers side, let’s assume you lose that game, and then all of a sudden, things get a bit trickier with Cristopher Sánchez being able to start on regular rest. We even discussed here the benefit of an off-day between Games 1 and 2 to give Shohei Ohtani a breather after his start. The impact of that doesn’t even touch Philly’s gain in having the ability to move up their ace in what’s yet another do-or-die game.

The extra day off in a five-game series heavily favors a team with two outstanding starters. For the Dodgers, with legitimately four aces, their gain is minimized. Now, you could argue Ohtani could be used here, but not only has Los Angeles been ultracareful with him, it’s Glasnow we’re talking about. The primary benefits Los Angeles had from this setup were less obvious, like the Ohtani off-day, the ability to use Glasnow out of the bullpen in Game 2, and maybe even Snell out of the bullpen in an emergency Game 5 situation. These are all noticeable, but we can’t overlook how massive it is for Philly to be able to count on Sánchez in Game 4 and Luzardo in Game 5. Under a normal scenario, Philly would need to win two in Los Angeles with Nola and Suárez each starting a game.

Also to be highlighted is the downside of a prolonged series in terms of bullpen exposure. The Phillies manager said that one of the reasons why he bunted in the ninth inning of Game 2 was that he felt comfortable playing for the tie, liking his relief options over the Dodgers’.

Between a pitching advantage that, if not disappears, at least diminishes in the following two games, the ability to limit looks against your top relief options, and killing any thought of negative momentum, the Dodgers have many reasons to treat Game 3 with more urgency than you’d expect from a team in such a comfortable situation.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/105419/dodgers-favorable-game-3-matchup-nlds

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers-Phillies bullpen usage heading into NLDS Game 4

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers’ first scramble game of the postseason used four pitchers to cover the final five innings of Game 3 of the National League Division Series, and now come into Game 4 one day later on Thursday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers are carrying eight relievers in this series, not including Tyler Glasnow, who got five outs out of the bullpen in Game 1 on Saturday and will start Game 4 on Thursday.

Emmet Sheehan threw 27 pitches in two innings in Game 2 on Monday, which probably put his availability in question for Game 3, considering he’s a starting pitcher by trade. Roki Sasaki and Alex Vesia weren’t used as the Dodgers were trailing.

That leaves five other active relievers who were likely available in Game 3, and four were used. Anthony Banda and Jack Dreyer each pitched scoreless innings, then Clayton Kershaw escaped the seventh inning with no runs on the board. At that point the Dodgers trailed only 3-1, and Kershaw was torched in his second inning for five runs, turning this game into a blowout.

“You make mistakes, you pitch behind, that’s what’s going to happen,” manager Dave Roberts said. “You’ve got to make pitches against those guys.”

Considering the Dodgers punted games multiple last postseason, limiting usage of high-leverage relievers in games they were trailing, it’s hard to say Game 3 didn’t fit into that rubric, especially considering how erratic Kershaw was in his first inning of work in what was still only a two-run deficit.

A mitigating factor here was the unavailability of Tanner Scott, who was not at Dodger Stadium for Game 3 for personal reasons, Roberts said. No other information was given, so it’s unclear what Scott’s availability will be for Thursday or if he’s replaced on the roster.

That left Blake Treinen as really the only reliever left to use in the ninth inning of Game 3.

Here’s how things look for the Dodgers bullpen, and their Division Series usage to date.

Pitcher	Sat.	Sun.	Mon.	Tue.	Wed.
Sasaki	1 IP, 11	1/3 IP, 2
Vesia	1/3 IP, 3	2/3 IP, 9
Treinen	0 IP, 12	1 IP, 10
Dreyer	1 IP, 19
Banda	1 IP, 10
Sheehan	2 IP, 27
Kershaw	2 IP, 48

Usage in innings, pitches thrown

The real crusher for the Dodgers in Game 3, besides the loss, was the big eighth inning meant the Phillies didn’t need to use their closer Jhoan Duran, whom they planned to get the final six outs. Duran also pitched in each of the first two games in Philadelphia.

Instead, Orion Kerkering, Taijuan Walker and Tanner Banks split the final two innings, saving Philadelphia’s best weapon for potentially an extended outing in Game 4 on Thursday.

The Phillies have used 10 of their 12 active pitchers in this series, including starter Aaron Nola in more of an extended opening role in Game 3 before Ranger Suárez picked up the ball for the next five frames. The only Phillies pitchers not yet used are left-hander Tim Mayza and old friend Walker Buehler.

Here’s how the Phillies bullpen usage looks heading into Thursday.

Pitcher	Sat.	Sun.	Mon.	Tue.	Wed.
Jhoan Duran	1 IP, 16	1 IP, 26
Orion Kerkering	1 IP, 10	2/3 IP, 15	1 IP, 11
Tanner Banks	1 IP, 8	1/3 IP, 1
David Robertson	1/3 IP, 15
Matt Strahm	1 IP, 15	1/3 IP, 4
Taijuan Walker	2/3 IP, 18

Usage in innings, pitches thrown

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...5517/dodgers-phillies-bullpen-division-series