In a sense of familiarity, the Los Angeles Dodgers, renowned for their dominance in this era, find themselves in a challenging situation during this year’s National League Division Series (NLDS). In back-to-back games, the Dodgers, a team that secured 100 wins during the regular season, watched their starting pitchers struggle while their offense failed to capitalize on limited scoring opportunities against the determined Arizona Diamondbacks, a team with 16 fewer regular-season victories.
The result: a 4-2 loss, and the Dodgers are now confronted with the possibility of an early playoff exit at the hands of a division rival they typically outperform. “This isn’t what anyone expected,” admitted Mookie Betts as his team faces a daunting 0-2 deficit in this best-of-five series.
“But you must work with the cards you’ve been given.” The Dodgers entered this postseason with a severely depleted starting rotation, a weakness that is now coming back to haunt them. Clayton Kershaw, a seasoned veteran with 16 years of experience, had a disastrous start, allowing six runs and recording only one out in the first game. Bobby Miller, a 24-year-old rookie, fared no better, giving up three runs before getting pulled in the second inning of the second game. The Dodgers’ bullpen did their best to keep the game within reach, but their potent offense struggled once again against opposing starters they had previously dominated. Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen, Arizona’s top two starting pitchers, had a combined 5.93 ERA in six regular-season starts against the Dodgers.
However, in the first two games of this series, they managed to limit the Dodgers to just two runs in 11⅔ innings. “We had some opportunities that we didn’t capitalize on,” lamented Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, taking responsibility for the team’s shortcomings.
The Dodgers had chances, including a fifth-inning situation with runners on the corners and a two-run deficit, but Gallen’s full-count curveball froze Freddie Freeman, ending the threat. In the sixth inning, with the bases loaded and the go-ahead run on first base, Andrew Saalfrank struck out James Outman, and Ryan Thompson induced Kolten Wong, the last batter off the Dodgers’ bench, to ground out.
So far in this NLDS, the Dodgers have gone just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and have left 13 runners stranded. Both Betts and Freeman, the perennial MVP candidates who powered the Dodgers’ offense all year, have combined for only one hit in 13 at-bats.
“This isn’t how things are meant to go,” Freeman remarked. “We all have to elevate our game added Betts. “We had opportunities, and we didn’t capitalize. For me and Freddie, that’s our role, and we’re not living up to it. I take ownership of that. I need to find a way; there are no excuses.” The Diamondbacks, coming off a remarkable sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in the wild-card series, are now the third team in major league history to take a 2-0 series lead against an opponent with at least 15 more regular-season wins. The Dodgers, a team known for dominating in the regular season but often falling short in the playoffs, are experiencing a sense of déjà vu.
Last year, they faced a bitter exit in the NLDS against the San Diego Padres, a division rival they had typically dominated. Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the challenge, saying, “Some of our guys have been in this spot before, facing elimination. We need to pitch better and have better at-bats. We have the talent to do it, and we need to take better team at-bats and win the next game, Game 3. If we win Game 3, we can pick up the pieces and go from there.
“We’ve secured victory in three consecutive games previously. “We’re familiar with this ballclub. They’re playing well, and we need to change the narrative.” The Dodgers are now gearing up for Game 3, pinning their hopes on veteran Lance Lynn and rookie Ryan Pepiot.
These two starters are expected to work in tandem to extend the Dodgers’ postseason journey, which was anticipated to be much longer. Clayton Kershaw is lined up for a potential Game 4. Statistically, road teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five series have advanced 90% of the time.
The only three teams to come back from such a deficit were the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015, the San Francisco Giants in 2012, and the New York Yankees in 2001.
The Dodgers are now aiming to become the fourth team to achieve this, one win at a time. “Of course, we’re all frustrated, but the most important thing now is to focus on the next game,” emphasized Betts, who has struggled at the plate during his past two postseason runs with the Dodgers.
Their pitching was solid, and our hitting wasn’t up to par. It’s certainly frustrating, but we need to move forward. “You don’t want to dwell on what went wrong.”
