Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Dave Roberts managed Game 4 of the NLDS masterfully on Wednesday night. It was probably his best managerial job since Game 6 of the 2020 World Series (which was perfection). Now, he’s going to have to do it again tonight. And if he doesn’t, folks will call for his head — but that’s no different since the day he was hired.
He wasn’t fully set on the pitching plan for Game 5, but he finally settled on Game 1 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto getting the ball in the series-deciding game. While he was, surely, tempted to go with another bullpen game considering the success in Game 4 — with the idea Yamamoto and Jack Flaherty would be lined up for Games 1 and 2 of the NLCS against the Mets — far too much could go wrong. He’d be relying on 7-9 pitchers again, and the odds of none of them faltering (even slightly) are slim. Plus, it kinda feels like “saving you closer for a save situation that never comes.” So, the call for Yamamoto to draw the start is the right call. Here’s hoping he figured out whatever issues re: pitch-tipping he may have been having in his last outing.
Yamamoto will, almost assuredly, have a short leash. He lasted just three innings in Game 1, and — if he struggles — a similar tactic could be deployed tonight. Let’s look at who pitched on Wednesday night and the workload each arm had.
| Pitcher | Pitches |
| Ryan Brasier | 19 |
| Anthony Banda | 19 |
| Michael Kopech | 20 |
| Alex Vesia | 30 |
| Evan Phillips | 10 |
| Daniel Hudson | 9 |
| Blake Treinen | 19 |
| Landon Knack | 20 |
Not a bad distribution. Vesia had the most stressful night, while Hudson and Phillips got through their outings with less stress. If Yamamoto can give the Dodgers 3-4 innings, the guys above could be asked to do a bit more, if the situation dictates it. I’m also hoping Roberts isn’t tempted to use Flaherty in relief. I’d rather the Dodgers go down with their familiar bullpen arms than to run another starter out in relief.
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Of course, none of that really matters if the bats don’t show up.
This probably isn’t going to be a 1-0/2-1 kind of game. While Yu Darvish shut the Dodgers down in Game 2, there is far too much offensive talent on both teams for it to be a low-scoring affair. And now that I’ve written this, go put your life savings on the under*.
*Disclaimer: This is a joke and not gambling advice. Please do not take financial/gambling advice from anyone on the site.
The Dodgers’ offense is a bit of a question mark due to Freddie Freeman‘s ankle. He wasn’t able to go in Game 4 and is probably a game-time decision tonight. They had their best game without their Hall of Fame first baseman playing, so they’re obviously better without him. All joking aside, it might actually be better for him to rest tonight in hopes of his ankle healing more in case they advance to the NLCS, where he will definitely be needed. I know, “saving your closer,” but it’s different in this case. And no matter what Alex Rodriguez says, no, Freeman’s ankle injury is actually bad for the Dodgers’ offense.
Mookie Betts coming to life is a welcome sign, and Gavin Lux has been good in his own right. If the Dodgers can continue to get production from all sectors of the lineup, they just might be able to overcome the major pitching problems.
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This is all feeling very 2021 vs. the Giants — injured first baseman, questionable pitching, starting pitchers maybe pitching out of the bullpen and an NL East opponent on a heater waiting for its next opponent.
Here’s hoping for a different (positive) outcome all together.
