For the 12th time in 13 seasons, the Dodgers were crowned champions of the NL West as they clinched their division in Arizona after an 8-0 victory against the Diamondbacks and punched their ticket to the postseason. Something that did not come easily to them as they should have clinched it far more earlier than later. This was a team that at one point was leading their division by nine games only to win it by a close margin of three games.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for them as they had to deal with many struggles just to clinch their spot in the postseason. Issues such as a poor bullpen, player slumps, and injuries all contributed to why their season went so poorly despite being a lock for the postseason.
There were games throughout the season where everything had been clicking, only for them to lose the game to small mistakes in their defense and pitching Games such as in Baltimore where the bullpen blew when Yamamoto almost threw a no-hitter, blowing a 4-0 lead against the Arizona Diamondbacks, adding onto the amount of walk off wins they gifted the opposing team. Even in moments when they had to score, their key players could not step up, as the majority of the time, players would be left on base, failing to score a single run.
In the postseason, every single player has to immediately be locked in as they’ll face even better pitching and far more dangerous lineups in the forms of the Phillies, Brewers, and Padres. But despite the danger that may precede them, we have to remember they’ve done it before.
Just last year, they faced the same odds when they were down 2-1 in the National League Division Series against the Padres. They faced the adversity head-on and not only knocked them out but held them to zero runs for two and a half games, even tying the record for innings pitched without allowing a run.
If there is any team that can win it all with all the pressure and expectations that come with having the highest payroll in baseball, it’s this team. They have the depth, and at any right moment, any player can get hot during a series, such as we saw last season with Tommy Edman. The only difference between last postseason and this one is that this time their rotation has to step up for their bullpen, as last year they had a depleted rotation, but still found a way.
To further add to the motivation for them, longtime starter and Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw announced his plans to retire at the end of the season. It’d be a much better way for the team to give one of their most respected and loved players the ending he deserves, which would be hanging it up as a 3-time World Series champion and a sure seat waiting for him in the Hall of Fame.
At the start of the season, the Dodgers were undoubtedly seen as the favorites to repeat as World Series champions after key players were re-signed, such as Teoscar Hernandez, and huge moves such as the acquisition of starting pitchers Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell. There was definitely reason to be excited for the season as the team was stacked from top to bottom, providing one of the scariest lineups in baseball.
Right out of the gate, they had a hot start, starting out 8-0 until the issues began to occur for the team. The trio of Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman never were able to find a moment where all three would get hot and lead as the first three hitters at the top of the order. In addition, there were injuries to Sasaki, who was already struggling with the team due to issues with his pitching mechanics, as well as Tommy Edman’s ankle injury.
Betts was one of the noticeable key players who had a down year, as he began the year with an illness that led to him losing an immense amount of weight and caused his slump throughout the season.
To add to the issues the team faced throughout the season, they struggled to close out games constantly losing games. One of their key signings in closer Tanner Scott blew 10 games, which led the league, something that the rest of the bullpen struggled with past the All-Star break.
Some fans described their views on the season as abysmal, embarrassing, and lackluster. Michael Hernandez, a longtime Dodgers fan, described it as, “Inconsistent, you never knew if their hot streak would last the majority of the time it would end in a losing streak.” When it came to their expectations for the postseason, everyone agreed: it’s World Series or bust. Some pointed to more trust in the bullpen, and hopes for the offense to provide the pitching with run support in times of good games. Who can blame them? This team comes with high expectations due to their history and usual winning ways. If there was a time for those moments of postseason heartbreak to come to an end, it’s now.
The Dodgers will be heading into October hoping to be the first team to repeat as world champions since the New York Yankees, who won it three times consecutively from 1998 to 2000.
Their path begins Tuesday at home when they play the Cincinnati Reds in the wild card best of 3 series. Even if they were to win, the winner of the series would have a much harder challenge in the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies. Here’s to another postseason filled with high expectations for the boys in blue.
