I’m sorry it’s been a while since I have written here. Life has gotten in the way, but I am hoping to have some articles up this October. The Dodgers opened their best of five NLDS against the Atlanta Braves on a miserably scorching hot Saturday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers got there by winning 100 games this season and cruising to yet another NL West division title. The Braves won their division as well, finishing with the best record in the NL East. The Dodgers began the series with a 5-3 win in the opening game, but dropped the second game by a 3-2 score on Sunday evening.
Before the series started, the Dodgers went into this playoff series with what seemed like a tactical pitching advantage. Atlanta had burned through all of their starting pitchers in their win over Philadelphia in the Wild Card round and have several starting pitchers out with injury. The only starters they have available are ace Chris Sale, and mid-season pick up Tyler Mahle. Sale pitched in two games in the Philadelphia series, including the third game and series finale. So he will not be available to pitch until game 3, when the series goes back to Atlanta. In the meantime the Braves had to use bullpen games for the first two contests. Boy do we know how the Braves are feeling.
The Dodgers on the other hand are coming in with a fully rested and healthy starting rotation. Trade acquisition Tarik Skubal opened the series, and was followed by Blake Snell on Sunday. The Dodger’s pitching situation is a bit more murky than in chanpionship years past. In 2024, they had just three starting pitchers, but a strong and effective bullpen. In 2025 they had a formidable rotation, but almost no middle relief. This year it’s a hodge podge. The middle relief has been ineffective, hit and miss all season. The Dodgers had some odd roster decisions. Jack Dreyer, and Justin Wrobleski were left off the roster in favor of Kris Bubic, and Roki Sasaki. I understand they don’t need Wrobleski, but not including Dreyer makes little sense. Bubic was acquired at the deadline and has been injured the entire season. He hasn’t pitched at all for the Dodgers and made his debut on Sunday. Sasaki has primarily been a starting pitcher and has been a bust since the Dodgers signed him. Both pitchers pitched poorly in game 2.
On the offense side, Dalton Rushing was not able to make his way onto the poseason roster. The Dodgers also didn’t add Alex Call. Instead they added Hyeseong Kim, and rookie Josue De Paula. I like Kim, but is he just there to be a pinch-runner? Doesnt seem like there will be a lot of opportunities for De Paula to play either, although he did pinch-hit in game 2. It’s asking a lot of the rookie sensation to throw him out in such a pressure environment.
Game 1 went well for the Dodgers. Skubal tossed six innings of one-run ball allowing just two hits, walking two and striking out seven. Brock Stewart and Alex Vesia both pitched scoreless innings to get the Dodgers to the ninth. I’ll get to the ninth in a minute. The bats responded against Atlanta’s patchwork pitching plan. Opener Dylan Dodd held the Dodgers in check through three frames, but right hander Victor Mederos got into trouble in the bottom of the fourth. Teoscar Hernandez smacked a two-run home run (with Freddie Freeman aboard) to put the Dodgers ahead. The Dodgers would hit three home runs, adding a two-run shot from Kyle Tucker (who is seeming to finalyl start to get more comfortable at Dodger Stadium) and a solo home run in the right field corner from Max Muncy. The Braves got on the board with a solo home run from catcher Sean Murphy in the top of the sixth. The Dodgers took a 5-1 lead into the ninth. Here’s where the Dodger’s biggest achillies heel came back to trouble them.
Tanner Scott was called into close shop, but immediately looked shaky, allowing a single to Ronadl Acuna Jr. and a two-run homer to Ozzie Albies. He was able to get the next two batters out, but Dave Roberts took him out and brought in Evan Phillips who was able to get the last out. Edwin Diaz made an appearance in the second game, but that came in the sixth inning and not the ninth. Diaz looked good and has looked close to his old self, but the Dodgers have not had a reliable closer the entire season.
In the second game the Dodgers did not get efficient pitching from Snell. The left hander couldn’t go deep into the game lasting just 3.2 innings allowing one earned run on three hits and walking five. he made 90 ptches. If the Dodgers can’t get length from their starters then the bullpen has to pitch a lot of innings and that’s not a good situation for the Dodgers. Their bullpen has just sucked all year. They sucked again on Sunday evening. The Dodgers fell behind immediately in the first inning when Snell walked a pair and Mauricio Dubon’s RBI knock scored Acuna. The Dodgers were able to tie the game in the fourth on Freddie Freeman’s solo home run. Freddie hadn’t hit a home run in well over a month. But the Braves retook the lead in the fifth against Kris Bubic. After getting two quick outs, Michael Harris tripled and scored on a wild pitch. The Dodgers had to use six relievers. Three relievers later and it was Edgardo Henriquez giving up the third run of the game in the top of the seventh. It was Harris again, this time doubling home Matt Olson to put the Braves ahead 3-1. Sasaki pitched the final two frames and looked bad, but was able to get out of it without allowing anything.
The Dodger bats didn’t get much going off of opener Ray Kerr. Atlanta showcasing a real actual bullpen that doesnt suck, used five more relievers to limit the Dodgers to just six hits, three walks and 0 for 8 with RISP. with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Max Muncy hit a solo home run, his second of the series and in as many days. De Paula fouled out to end the game. Final score 3-2. Now that pitching advantage is gone and the Dodgers have to face Chris Sale on Tuesday. We’ve seen how that has gone before. I’m assuming the Dodgers will counter with Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Let’s see if the Dodgers stop jerking us around and get serious. Otherwise they may be forced to do what they are so good at; coming from behind in playoff series.
