Game 103 Thread: July 22 vs. Phillies, 3.40p

Eric Lauer (4-5, 4.81) vs. Aaron Nola (3-7, 5.68).

For the finale, we're starting a guy known for giving up bombs, against a team who hit five HR against us in the opening game of the series.

Yay.

Game 102 Thread: July 21 @ Phillies, 4p

Justin Wrobleski (10-2, 2.69) vs. Zac Wheeler (10-1, 2.13).

The Dodgers raised the white flag early yesterday, as Emmet Sheehan was ineffective and the Dodgers subbed out a ton of starters early--not Kyle Tucker, who sat out the whole game--in a 10-7 loss.

Tonight's starting matchup doesn't make me feel any better.

Game 101 Thread: July 20 @ Phillies, 4p

Emmet Sheehan (4-6, 4.81) vs. Cristopher Sanchez (11-4, 2.62).

Here's another series against a 2026 World Series contender, who is throwing their best arm at us (actually, they're throwing great arms in all three games). After taking only two of three in the Bronx this weekend, I'm guessing the beleaguered Dodgers go quietly tonight.

Game 59 Thread: May 31 vs. Phillies, 1p

Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Andrew Painter.

That starting matchup sounds like our Japanese ace does not support the arts. I don't think that's the case, but I hope Yoshi can paint corners himself today.

Game 58 Thread: May 30 vs. Phillies, 7p

Roki Sasaki (3-3, 4.93) vs. Jesus Luzardo (4-4, 4.38).

Tonight's matchup faces two starting pitchers with balanced win-loss records; actually, the Phillies' overall record of 29-28 is pretty damn balanced as well. But Dodger fans know that for Roki Sasaki, there can be flashes of brilliance just as there can be complete meltdowns.

Given recent history of meltdowns in Dodger Stadium with this opposing team, we'll see which team flinches first tonight.

Post-Game 57 Thread: Dodgers Home Run Derby

DODGERS 4, PHILLIES 2

It wasn't so much what the Dodgers did--stop the red-hot Phillies and give opposing starter Zack Wheeler his first loss of the year--but how they did it: four solo home runs from Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Shohei Ohtani, and Will Smith.

Oh, and Justin Wrobleski, who had struggled in his last start against Milwaukee, came back with a vengeance (7.0 IP, 1 ER, 9 Ks and 0 BB). Bryce Harper struck out three times and Kyle Schwarber struck out twice, contributing to 11 Ks overall for the Dodger pitchers (Wrobleski; the moderately effective Edgardo Henriquez; a clutch K for Alex Vesia (on his bobblehead night!); and a perfect ninth from Tanner Scott).

I couldn't watch this one as I don't have Apple TV, but that gave me the chance to hear Charley Steiner botch Freeman's HR call as well as call the Dodger right fielder "Kyle Turner." Hoo, boy.

Game 57 Thread: May 29 vs. Phillies, 7p

This manager looks vaguely familiar.

Justin Wrobleski (6-2, 3.07) vs. Zack Wheeler (4-0. 1.67).

Since taking over the manager's role in Philadelphia, former Dodger manager Don Mattingly has led the Phillies to a 20-8 record, basically the reciprocal of the 9-19 record he inherited. So while the Phillies currently appear to be a .500 team (at 29-27), looks are deceiving...which makes for a perfect test for the Dodgers this weekend.

Let's get this party started tonight.

2025 NLDS Post-Game 4 Thread: Roki To The Rescue

DODGERS 2, PHILLIES 1 (11)
DODGERS WIN NLDS, 3-1

In a tense affair that only took 3:30 to complete but felt like an eternity, the Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies on an improbable error, with Orion Kerkering panicking after a botched comebacker, ultimately throwing the ball to the wrong base and wide of catcher J.T. Realmuto, allowing Dodgers pinchrunner Hyeseong Kim to score the game-winning run.

I was at the game and would not have believed this ending despite seeing it with my own eyes.

I guess you can now spell "Phillies" with three Ls.

The truth is, either team could have easily won this series. The Dodgers stole Game 1 in Philadelphia, and then barely survived Game 2, to put Los Angeles in a pretty comfortable position. But after squandering Game 3, it seemed like this Game 4, which rested on a razor's edge, could have gone either way.

Had the Dodgers lost NLDS Game 4, I have to think we would not have been favored to win the series in a winner-take-all Game 5, given the hostility of Citizens Bank Park, not to mention our recent performance where we just squeaked to victories by our fingernails.

But key Dodgers stepped up here in Game 4 to deliver us the win, and we have to give them their rightful commendations:

• Tyler Glasnow was nails. Yes, Glasnow's reputation of fragility, coupled with the fact that he only started 18 games for us this year, made me skeptical that we'd see him finish even three innings. But Glasnow's line: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB and 8 Ks--outdid Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez's numbers (6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB and 5 Ks).

  I wasn't sure why we took Glasnow out after only 83 pitches and six innings, because he was dealing, but I've since read that he was cramping. But his performance kept us in the game, for sure.

• Emmet Sheehan held up. Sure, he made an error that cost us a run. But the kid has now pitched in three 2025 postseason games and is getting a little bit sharper each time. He had a strikeout in Game 1 (2.0 IP) and a strikeout in G4 (1.0 IP), and thought his ERA is still 10.80 this postseason, he's a viable middle-inning bridge, which we need. Keep up the progress, Emmet!

• Roki Sasaki, of course, was the breakout story of the day. Holy shit, Batman. Given all the hype of his signing, then the clear discomfort and shaky performances early on this year, and then missing most of the year with a shoulder injury--there was absolutely no way one would think Sasaki would become the postseason closer beast that has emerged late in 2025. Since returning from injury on September 24, Sasaki pitched in only two regular-season games (one inning each; 0 ER and 4 Ks). And then, despite ratcheting up the pressure in each 2025 postseason appearance, Sasaki has shined.

  But Game 4's performance, asking the rookie to go three innings of work and watching him face nine batters and sit all nine down--one would have never expected this. Sasaki just hit another level, in a role that he wasn't even expected to play. I can't think of a comparable example. It's amazing.

• Clayton Kershaw wore it in Game 3, so that we could have everyone ready for Game 4. Watching Kershaw struggle on Wednesday was just gut-wrenching awful. But if he doesn't pitch those two innings, we use up some of the few options we have in that corroded bullpen (even more corroded now that Tanner Scott is out through the NLCS, not that we'd really feel comfortable using Scott these days, anyway). Hopefully, us advancing to the NLCS will give Kershaw a chance to whittle down his truly unfair 2025 postseason 18.00 ERA (not to mention, his career 4.63 postseason ERA).

• The bottom of our lineup broke through. Tommy Edman, who was roping some balls earlier in the game, finally broke through with a single to left in the 11th, for his first hit of the game. Then Max Muncy clutched up and singled to center, advancing pinch-runner Kim to third, and knocking out Phillies Game-5-starter-turned-reliever Jesus Luzardo. Then Kiké Hernandez--now batting .318 with a .809 OPS this postseason, both marks ahead of Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman!--worked the count to earn a walk and load the bases.

  And that set up the dramatics for Andy Pages--batting a microscopic .042 with a .122 OPS this postseason--to hit the comebacker that quickly unfolded into an error, with Kim crossing the plate and the Dodgers winning the game. But all four of those players were our 6-7-8-9 in the lineup on Thursday; the heroics were all theirs.

• Dave Roberts, again, made all the right calls and beat Phillies manager Rob Thomson in the chess match. Roberts gets a lot of flack, and I know I defend him more than most. But honestly, with Thomson going to closer Jhoan Duran in the seventh inning (Duran ended up blowing ths save by walking Mookie Betts with the bases loaded, which was amazing); then throwing his Game 5 starter in the tenth inning, in a do-or-die move--Thomson was trying everything to give his team the win.

  But Roberts' bullpen choices, even going back to how he (ab)used Kershaw in Game 4 (see above), proved to be key. Pushing Sasaki for three frames in Game 3 was ballsy, and it worked out (and so did using Alex Vesia in the 11th, and Vesia might be gaining some girth on his trust tree branch of late). It seems like Doc has gotten a lot better over time about reading the moment and trusting his players in key situations; it may not always work out, but it seems to be successful more often than not. Now, why we are sticking with starting Pages is another issue.

And look, I hated to see it end on Orion Kerkering's shoulders like that. He just freaked out, with 50,000 fans screaming and a bobbled ball that shifted things from routine to chaos in an instant. Yeah, maybe he should have thrown to first base to get Pages. And the play at the plate might have been close. But you don't like to see a walk-off error. I feel for the guy.

But hey, let's watch that play again anyway :)

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Needless to say, it wasn't his fault that the Phillies are going home. Look at their big three: Trea Turner, 0-for-5 on Thursday with 2 Ks, finishing with a .235 average and .551 OPS (Turner did make a sweet defensive play in Game 4 on a grounder). Kyle Schwarber, who erupted for two home runs in Game 3, was a sad 1-for-5 in Game 4, also with 2 Ks, finishing the postseason with a .188 average (and .903 OPS). Bryce Harper, who has not fared well in Dodger Stadium in his career, went 0-for-4 and finished with a .200 average and .600 OPS.

So in NLDS Game 4, combined, Philly's big three went 1-for-14 with 4 Ks.

Now look, our big three didn't do much better: 2-for-13 with 5 Ks across Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman (Roberts wedged Teoscar Hernandez in there for Game 4, batting third but he was worse: 1-for-5 with 3 Ks on his own). Ohtani and Freeman look pretty bad right now, which some speculate is because Philadelphia's lefties are so strong. You know who else has strong lefty pitching? The Cubs (who play a winner-take-all game in Milwaukee Saturday). Gulp.

But I'll think about our adjustments that we'll need to make for the NLCS later. For now, I'm going to revel in the fact that the Dodgers are moving on, having vanquished the team that many believe would be our biggest obstacle this 2025 postseason.

After sitting through 11 innings of totally clenched ball last night, I'm still pretty nervous.

2025 NLDS Game 4 Thread: Oct 9 vs. Phillies, 3p

Awakening the sleeping giant.

Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.19) vs. Cristopher Sanchez (13-5, 2.50).

So many things went wrong for the Dodgers last night, in Game 3. Andy Pages' moribund play both at the plate and in the field. Having to leave Clayton Kershaw out there when he clearly had trouble finding the strike zone. Watching Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman have a third straight game without much pop in the bats.

And worst of all, we've awakened Kyle Schwarber, not to mention given signs of life to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper. This is not good.

Meanwhile, we've got this guy starting NLDS Game 4, after watching him struggle to get through five outs back in Game 1. (And remember, Sanchez notched eight strikeouts against us in Game 1, basically shutting us down until the sixth inning.)

So I'm throwing a hail mary here and I'm going to 2025 NLDS Game 4. It's do or die. I have a bad feeling that I know the outcome already, though.

2025 NLDS Game 3 Thread: Oct 8 vs. Phillies, 6p

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49) vs. Aaron Nola (5-10, 6.01).

Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets his second start of the postseason, following a clinching NLWC Game 2 in which he went 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER (thanks, Teoscar!) 2 BB and 9 Ks, to earn the victory. We've got a chance for Yamamoto to clinch another series tonight.

Aaron Nola gets the nod over Ranger Suarez, which is a little bit of a surprise:

Though Nola is the longest-tenured Phillie and certainly has a proven track record, he went just 5-10 with a 6.01 ERA in 17 starts this season. He missed three months from mid-May to mid-August due to a sprained right ankle and a stress fracture in one of his ribs.

I'm not sleeping on this one, though. Nola did see the Dodgers on April 5, 2025, in a losing effort (Dodgers won 3-1; Nola went 6.0 IP and gave up all three ER). He is 3-3 with a 4.31 ERA in 12 starts against the Dodgers, lifetime.

But Nola may just be a feint anyway, with Suarez rarin' to go. From the same mlb.com piece:

Thomson will undoubtedly have a quick hook with the Phillies’ season on the line, but even if Nola is pitching well, it’s possible he’s asked only to get through the Dodgers’ lineup one time.

Despite his struggles this season, it’s worth noting that Nola has typically navigated the opposing lineup pretty well the first time through. Opponents hit just .252 with a .693 OPS against Nola when facing him for the first time. That OPS jumped to .797 the second time through -- and 1.005 the third time.

Suarez also pitched three innings of 3 ER ball against us, on September 15, 2025, in a game the Dodgers lost 6-5 in 10 innings. He is 3-2 with a 3.64 ERA against the Dodgers across eight starts. But he pitches well in Dodger Stadium, which is one of his top-five tOPS+ stadium across his career (by comparison, Nola has a 95 tOPS+ at Dodger Stadium).

Coming home gives the Dodgers a chance to smoothen out some of those very rough fielding edges that we've seen for most of this postseason (I'm looking at you, Teoscar, Max, and Tommy). Not to mention, it would be nice to see Andy Pages have a good AB for a change.

Let's go, Dodgers!

2025 NLDS Game 2 Analysis: Philadelphia, Behind The Wheel

It seems that all the coverage about the Dodgers' NLDS Game 2 victory centers around the "wheel play" that the Dodgers successfully pulled off in the ninth inning, to squash the Phillies' threat, regain a bit of momentum, and maintain the Dodgers' narrow 4-3 lead.

From ESPN:

The key play of the game, however, came earlier in the bottom of the ninth, after the Phillies had scored two runs on Nick Castellanos' half-swing bloop double to shallow left field to make it 4-3 with nobody out -- with Castellanos somehow avoiding a tag at second base from Edman, a call confirmed upon replay review. With Alex Vesia entering to face Bryson Stott and the Dodgers expecting a bunt, the Dodgers huddled up and called for the wheel play -- when the third baseman charges hard with the shortstop sprinting to cover third base, a play third baseman Max Muncy said the Dodgers don't even practice in spring training.

"Immediately, Mookie was like, 'Hey, we need to be doing this,'" Muncy said. "It speaks to his baseball IQ and his intuition in that situation. We were all thinking it, but Mookie was definitely the one that brought it up and said we need to do this."

Betts, who just finished his full season at shortstop, explained his thinking. "It's just another learned behavior," he said. "I've got to give that credit to Miggy Rojas. I think we did it earlier in the year in Anaheim, and I remember asking him, 'When's a good time to do it?' He said, 'In a do-or-die situation,' and he and Woody (Dodgers coach Chris Woodward) have really helped me a lot just learning situations."

Manager Dave Roberts gave the go-ahead. If the Dodgers failed, it would put runners on first and third with nobody out.

"I think it just speaks to the experience that a lot of us have been in a lot of these big games before and we have a lot of experience doing these types of things," Muncy said. "Doc trusts us as much as we trust Doc and it's not an easy thing to gain, and so that's why in that moment, Doc heard us talking and right away he was on board with it."

The first pitch to Stott was a slider out of the zone. In a sacrifice situation, the batter's job with a runner on second is to push the ball down the third-base line. With Muncy charging and Betts hustling to third, they were worried they might have blown their cover.

"When it comes to the wheel play as a third baseman, your first job it obviously to field the ball, and then you've got to make a good throw," Muncy said. "But the one thing no one talks about is you got to make sure the guy's there to catch the throw."

Betts got there.

"God blessed me with some athleticism, so I was able to just kind of put in on display there," Betts said.

"It's tag play, too," Woodward explained. "Running the wheel on a force out is a lot easier because the third baseman just has to catch it. But if you have a tag him, it presents a more difficult play. For Muncy to field it, know right away, make a good throw. Mookie hung in there. That was the play of the game."

Get this: The Dodgers didn't have a 5-6 putout all season, the only team in the majors without one, according to ESPN Research.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson went on to discuss the key element to this episode: how Betts' deception made this defensive play even viable in the first place:

In an era with few sacrifice bunts, the attempt itself was debatable strategy. Indeed, the Phillies had just 16 sacrifice bunts all season. Manager Rob Thomson explained the decision: "Just left on left," he said, referring to Stott against Vesia. "Trying to tie the score. I liked where our bullpen was at, compared to theirs. We play for the tie at home."

He praised the Dodgers' execution.

"Mookie did a great job of disguising the wheel play. We teach our guys that if you see wheel, just pull it back and slash because you've got all kinds of room in the middle. But Mookie broke so late that it was tough for Stotty to pick it up."

Here's the LAT's coverage, with Muncy and Betts interviewed in the embedded video:

Awesome stuff. Credit Mookie Betts' IQ and athleticism, but also credit Max Muncy--not always the smoothest at third base--for making a perfect throw.

The Dodgers are up 2-0 in the NLDS, with Game 3 at home Wednesday.

POSTSCRIPT 10/7 8.29a: Fabian Ardaya also had a great breakdown of the wheel play in The Athletic:

All the momentum they’d taken from the Philadelphia Phillies was 180 feet away, with the potential tying run at second base with no one out. That’s when the manager looked at his players during the pitching change. “You guys figure it out,” Roberts said.

Mookie Betts made a suggestion. The six-time Gold Glove-winning right fielder, making just his fourth career postseason start at shortstop, did not think. He just spoke.

Betts’ comfort at his new position allowed him to propose something the Dodgers had hardly considered since spring training, much less practiced or executed: the wheel play. It’s a scheme that aggressively shifts their defenders around in the middle of a bunt attempt to try to get the lead runner.

It worked. [...]

They’d escaped a disaster because of the trust Roberts put in Betts, the former MVP who made a seemingly impossible transition to shortstop at age 32.

“Somebody’s gotta do it,” Betts said. “I figured if there was ever a good time to make a decision and roll with it, that was the time.”

The Dodgers got that precious last out just as their makeshift bullpen needed it, and it took a strategy they hardly ever attempt.

“For me, that was our only chance, really, to win that game in that moment,” Roberts said.

POSTSCRIPT 10/8 7.54a: I heard Harold Reynolds' breakdown of this play on MLB Radio yesterday, but watching this highlight on television was amazing. Well done, Harold!

2025 NLDS Game 2 Post-Game Thread: Snell, Sasaki Overcome Phillies and Dodgers Bullpen, To Go Up 2-0

DODGERS 4, PHILLIES 3

One year ago, the Dodgers' bullpen put the team on its shoulders and carried the team to a World Series Championship. This year, the Dodgers bullpen--with some of the very same arms that were incredible last year--threaten to corrode the Dodgers' 2025 chances from the inside.

Blake Treinen was almost the goat tonight, entering the game in the ninth inning with a 4-1 lead, following six scoreless innings from starter Blake Snell and two solid one-run innings from converted starter Emmet Sheehan. Treinen proceeded to shit the bed, yielding a leadoff single to Alec Bohm, then a double to JT Realmuto, and then a two-RBI double from Nick Castellanos, who wasn't even supposed to be in the lineup except Harrison Bader pulled a groin muscle. Treinen left having given up two runs and left one RISP, and not having gotten even one out.

Credit Alex Vesia--the only Dodgers bullpen arm to have recorded an out in two games of the 2025 NLDS--as well as Max Muncy and Mookie Betts for turning a Bryson Stott bunt into an out on the lead runner, Castellanos. Vesia then yielded a single and then got a force out to make it two outs, Phils at the corners.

And then Dave Roberts did the thing that he should have done earlier, and brought in Roki Sasaki (in post-game interviews, Roberts explained that he was worried about leaning on Sasaki as he had never pitched twice in three days before last night--but hey, man, it's the playoffs! Time to sack the hell up!). Sasaki barely got the third out and earned his second save of the NLDS.

(Tommy Edman almost threw the ball away, but Freddie Freeman saved Edman's bacon to close out the game. Said the TBS announcer, "Oh, my. Tommy Edman owes Freddie Freeman the fattest steak dinner he's ever had." Book Maestro's on Tuesday night, stat.)

The post-game banter on the SoSG Whats App channel went like this:

Sax: Alex Vesia is the only non-starter that has gotten outs this NLDS

Nomo: Any discussion of using Treinen again is also a non-starter.

We didn't need that heart attack Monday night, but we got it. And we also got a 2-0 NLDS lead on the road (fangraphs just jumped our odds from ~75% to >90%). I never would have expected this, not after watching Game 2 play out today. Consider ourselves very lucky.

But let's all agree, we won't use Blake Treinen again in 2025, at least not without a 15-run lead.

And I'm not even going to talk about Andy Pages, now 1-for-17 in the postseason, and swinging recklessly and early every AB.

2025 NLDS Game 2 Thread: Oct 6 @ Phillies, 3p

Blake Snell (5-4, 2.35) vs. Jesus Luzardo (15-7, 3.92).

Fellow SoSGers, I confess that I missed NLDS Game 1.

Car trouble and an overly-ambitious schedule during the day thwarted my efforts to actually watch Game 1. I was stuck on the side of a road waiting for a tow truck to come. And it was difficult, because all I had was radio. Though to be honest, I don't think I could have had the emotional strength to make it through a live viewing of that game.

I would have fallen into despair when Shohei Ohtani got rattled in the second inning, understandbly so while watching Teoscar Hernandez run practice jog routes out in right field rather than bend down and try and stop a ball.

I would have screamed at the television watching Andy Pages flail at the plate for another game, looking totally overmatched.

I would have chewed through t-shirt watching Max Muncy make another fielding error at third base.

And I would have had nothing left in the tank to cheer when the Dodgers showed a level of mettle I did not know or even believe that they had, ultimately prevailing in Game 1, 5-3.

Here's Fangraphs' win probability. That is nuts.

Ohtani not only settled down after that second inning, he didn't allow another run in four more innings of work, shutting the Phillies down (especially their top three formidable bats). And that wasn't easy, given how Philadelphia fans were jeering him all game. Teoscar Hernandez hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh that was totally unlikely given his play this year, but maybe not so given his postseason resume.

Speaking of postseason resumes, Kiké Hernandez, a woeful .203 batter in the 2025 season, is up to his same clutch self: batting .417 with a 1.000 OPS this postseason. His two-RBI double in the sixth put us on the board and created some tension in a game where the Phillies seemed to be rolling. It makes no sense that Kiké is so clutch in October, but so it happens every year.

And even Andy Pages scored a run and had a hit in this one (he's now 1-for-13 in this postseason).

During yesterday's off-day, I watched the condensed game highlights of Game 1, and Rick Monday (on his radio call) was spot-on--Citizens Bank Park turned as silent as a library after Teo's HR. It was amazing.

From the LA Times, "When you can hear a pin drop in the stadium, that’s the ultimate feeling in baseball,” Max Muncy said of the home run. “I felt like the people in the upper deck could hear us cheering in the dugout.”

And so today, we try to steal another game from the Phillies in NLDS Game 2, a game I do plan to watch. Blake Snell was great in 2025 NLWC Game 1 for us, and given Dave Roberts' new "all-starters, all the time" strategic approach and/or necessity (Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki got 26 of the 27 outs in Game 1), we again will need Snell to go long.

I've mocked Snellzilla for most of this year. It would be great to see him breathe fire in Game 2.

2025 NLDS Game 1 Thread: Oct 4 @ Phillies, 3.30p

Shohei Ohtani (1-1, 2.87) vs. Cristopher Sánchez (13-5, 2.50).

In the marquee game of the day--pushed later in the evening (screwing the Cubs @ Brewers!), just to further elevate the contest--the Dodgers are giving what the worldwide MLB audience wants to see: Shohei Ohtani's first postseason pitching start.

Holy shit, this is huge.

But here's the problem (which I'm sure the Phillies are already considering): Ohtani hasn't gone beyond six innings all year. In fact, the last time he pitched into the seventh inning was July 27, 2023 (a complete game win over Detroit, when Ohtani was with the Angels). And we all know what happened after that, with regards to his injury. The bubblewrap has to be on Ohtani for this start (which may not be such a bad idea when he's pitching, lest a comebacker go up the middle).

And then that means we have to deploy the bullpen, upon which the Phillies are gonna feast.

So yeah, I'm psyched for the Ohtani start. I'm just dreading what comes next.

Game 152 Thread: September 17 vs. Phillies, 7p

Blake Snell vs. Jesus Luzardo.

That photo up above, my dear friends, is the Dodgers Bullpen Trust Tree, where all branches basically lie in ruin on the ground. With their second straight implosion last night, spoiling Shohei Ohtani's five no-hit inning start, the Dodgers bullpen has clearly demonstrated (against a playoff-bound team) that there are no pieces on which Dave Roberts can rely.

Justin Wrobleski, Edgardo Henriquez, and Blake Treinen all shit the bed last night. Anthony Banda, Jack Dreyer, and Alex Vesia all shit the bed Monday night. Tanner Scott has shit the bed so many times all year long, his bed has to be an absolutely toxic pig sty. Hopefully he's got a washable mattress protector.

And in both nights' losses, the bullpen has squandered leads, and comeback dramatics, to ultimately lose the game.

I'm not even going to get into the fact that the bullpen has recently screwed no-hit bids from both of our Japanese starting pitchers. At this stage, Roki Sasaki has to be wondering if he even wants to make it back to The Show, given the clowns that would follow after him.

And it's not like we've got starters who will go deep into games. We're just not built that way. Look at tonight's starter, for example.

Game 151 Thread: Sept 16 vs. Phillies, 7p

Ohtani (1-1, 3.75) vs. Sanchez (13-5, 2.57).

Last night, we lost in extra innings, despite heroics from Emmet Sheehan, Mookie Betts, and Andy Pages, mostly because our bullpen repeatedly failed us and gave up leads in multiple innings.

But the other disaster (and unfortunately, this one could have been avoided) was batting Teoscar Hernandez third in the lineup. Teo, who has been lost for most of the season and basically all of the second half, went 0-for-4 with 2 Ks, and squashed Dodgers rallies in the second, fifth, and seventh innings (making the third and final out in all four of his plate appearances).

I love Teoscar's energy and enthusiasm, his sunflower seed showers, and his unwavering support of teammates. I wouldn't sit him, as we need him to get his swing back. But I sure as hell wouldn't bat him third, either.

Come on, Doc.

Game 150 Thread: Sept.15 vs. Phillies, 7p

Emmet Sheehan (6-3, 3.32) vs. Ranger Suarez (12-6, 2.77).

A four-and-a-half game lead in the playoff standings, with only 13 games to go, is just too much for the Dodgers to make up, right? If we remain in the #3 playoff spot (as the divisional winner with the worst record), it means we'll play in the Wild Card round, against the Mets (or possibly the Giants, Diamondbacks, or Reds)--none of which are really great first-round opponents, especially in a short best-of-three series.

Bill Shaikin of the LAT reminisces that having a first-round bye didn't work so well for us in 2022 and 2023, though in 2024 we had a bye and barely eked out the NLDS victory. But Andrew Friedman, in a very confusing quote, still prefers we get the first-round bye:

“There is not a question in my mind that that does not make sense,” Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, told me last week. “It is better for your World Series odds to not play those three games.”

The five days off that come with a bye can disrupt the timing of hitters. They also can allow time for injured and weary players to recover — that could be critical for Dodgers catcher Will Smith, in particular — and for the Dodgers to arrange their starting rotation just the way they might like it. And, of course, you can’t be eliminated in the first round if you don’t play in it.

Taking the long view: if the Dodgers follow-up their pre-season juggernaut coronation with entering the playoffs as the worst divisional winner, one has to register this as a disappointment.

Maybe that's a big enough chip on the shoulder to motivate the Dodgers (who won the weekend series by dominating the last two games, but still slept through Friday's disappointing walk-off loss to the Giants).

Or maybe I'm just looking too far ahead.

Game 11 Thread: April 6 @ Phillies, 10.30a

The case of the missing H.

Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 0.00) vs. Cristopher Sanchez (0-0, 1.69).

Holy cow, this game is on early. How am I going to watch this from church?

Game 10 Thread: April 5 @ Phillies, 1p

Not exactly the opposing starting pitcher, but close.

Roki Sasaki (0-0, 5.79) vs. Aaron Nola (0-1, 8.44).

Roki Sasaki has not been good this season, beset by a combination of nervousness and wildness that has prevented him from getting into the fourth inning in either of his starts. He's given up 3 ER, 5 Ks and 9 BBs, and basically...looks like a 23-year-old pitcher competing in a foreign country on the biggest stage. Which he is!

Luckily, the Dodgers have a chance in this one, as we face Aaron Nola, who got shellacked for 5 ER in his only start this year (3/30 vs. WSH: 5.1 IP, albeit 8 Ks and 0 BB).

Game 9 Thread: April 4 @ Phillies, 3.45p

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-0, 2.70) vs. Jesús Luzardo (1-0, 3.60).

Jesús Luzardo only lasted five innings in his first start (vs. Washington 3/29), giving up two ER and five hits--but struck out 11. That's almost as many Ks as Yoshinobu Yamamoto has (14) in two games and 10.0 IP.

Max Muncy and Andy Pages are probably good for at least two Ks each. So it's up to the rest of the order to see if they can pound out some hits at Citizens Bank Park today and extend this undefeated start to the season.