The Dodgers’ bullpen did enough in Game 2 of the NLDS to win a lot of nights. The problem was everything around it.
With Blake Snell unable to settle in and the offense going quiet, Los Angeles never gave itself the cushion it needed, and the relievers wound up carrying far more weight than anyone wanted. Even so, the bullpen’s work was the least blameworthy part of the Dodgers’ night.
Snell never found a rhythm and couldn’t get through the fourth inning, which meant the Dodgers had to ask their relief corps to cover 19 outs while trailing 1-0. His outing could have unraveled faster, but the bullpen helped keep Atlanta from doing more damage.
Brock Stewart handled a critical moment, getting Ronald Acuña Jr. out with two runners aboard. Given that Snell had walked two batters in his final inning, Acuña in that spot was a real threat.
Los Angeles didn’t lean on one arm the way Atlanta nearly did with Didier Fuentes, who was pushed all the way to the edge of a four-inning save. The Dodgers spread the workload around, with Roki Sasaki the only one of the six relievers to cover more than one inning.
Over those 6.1 innings, the Dodgers’ relievers gave up two runs. The first came on a wild pitch by Kris Bubic with a runner on third, a run that only scored because of the mistake.
Later, Michael Harris II doubled off Edgardo Henríquez with two outs to bring in Matt Olson. That wasn’t a spotless performance, but it was solid work from Stewart, Evan Phillips, Edwin Díaz and the rest.
If an outing like that still ends in a loss, the offense is the reason.
There were more chances for Atlanta, too, and the Dodgers kept slamming the door. Acuña left the fourth inning with two men on after Snell exited, only for the bullpen to keep the game tight.
Sasaki, despite not allowing a hit, got himself into trouble with walks and hit-by-pitches, then escaped with two scoreless innings and a bases-loaded double play to finish off Acuña. That’s the kind of night that shows what this group can do: in three at-bats against the Dodgers’ bullpen, Acuña had five runners on base in front of him and still didn’t drive in a run.
That’s the quiet strength of the Dodgers’ relief depth. It may not jump off the page the way the rotation or lineup does, but it matters. Even deeper into the leverage ladder, they’re still getting quality innings from arms that can overwhelm hitters.
In Other News...
Dodgers Let NLDS Control Slip Away After Another Offensive Letdown
Blake Snells afternoon never found a rhythm, and the Dodgers could not do enough offensively to take advantage of the opening it created. Los Angeles dropped a 3-2 decision to the Braves in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, a result that evened the series at one game apiece and left the Dodgers searching for the timely hit that has been missing too often in October.
Snell issued a season-high five walks, and the game turned on a chaotic stretch that included a wild pitch from Braves reliever Kris Bubic before Atlanta grabbed the go-ahead run. Freddie Freeman also came through for the Braves with a home run, his first since Sept. 2, adding another swing that helped flip the momentum and leave the Dodgers with a split instead of control. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Face A Lineup Decision That Could Test Braves In Game 3
After getting bottled up by the Braves in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, the Dodgers are staring at a familiar October problem: how to jolt an offense that went quiet when it needed to answer back. Atlanta leaned on multiple pitchers to keep Los Angeles in check, and now Dave Roberts is weighing a lineup tweak for Game 3 as the series shifts into a more urgent phase for a team trying to avoid elimination.
The concern centers on center fielder Andy Pages, whose postseason struggles have become hard to ignore, and that has opened the door for Enrique Hernandez to potentially step in and give the lineup a different look. Hernandez has earned a reputation as a reliable October bat, which is part of what makes this decision so interesting for the Dodgers, who need more than just better at-bats now - they need a spark that can change the feel of the series. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Face A Real Andy Pages Lineup Dilemma
Andy Pages arrived at October with the kind of profile the Dodgers hoped would translate, but through two postseason games he has not found much traction. He has gone hitless in eight plate appearances, drawing one walk and striking out four times, and the swing-and-miss issues have stood out even more because they are so far above his regular-season norms. For a Dodgers lineup built to keep pressure on opposing pitching, that kind of drop-off from a regular contributor quickly becomes hard to ignore.
Dave Roberts has already made one adjustment by limiting Pages ability to challenge calls, a small but telling sign that the club is trying to manage both the player and the moment. If the struggles continue, the Dodgers do not appear short on alternatives, which only adds to the tension around Pages spot. In October, even a young hitter with legitimate upside can find himself one rough stretch away from a lineup debate. [Read more 🡒]