{"id":47780,"date":"2017-10-16T09:45:34","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T09:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=47780"},"modified":"2017-10-16T09:45:34","modified_gmt":"2017-10-16T09:45:34","slug":"dodgers-dominant-bullpen-baffling-foes-nl-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/dodgers-dominant-bullpen-baffling-foes-nl-playoffs.html","title":{"rendered":"Dodgers\u2019 dominant bullpen is baffling foes in NL playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dodgers\u2019 dominant bullpen is baffling foes in NL playoffs<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Dodgers\u2019 dominant bullpen is baffling foes in NL playoffs:- Just a year ago, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was attempting to get through the late innings of tight playoff games with long appearances by closer Kenley Jansen, a hodgepodge of veteran relievers and one desperate bailout from ace Clayton Kershaw.<\/span><\/p>\n

One October later, Los Angeles\u2019 bullpen is downright dominant as the team steamrolls toward the World Series.<\/span><\/p>\n

After excelling in the unbeaten Dodgers\u2019 three-game NL Division Series sweep of Arizona, those relievers have retired 24 of 25 batters without allowing a hit or a run in the NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs.<\/span><\/p>\n

The bullpen hasn\u2019t allowed a hit in its last 8 2\/3 innings of work overall, giving the Dodgers extraordinary faith in their relievers heading into Wrigley Field for Game 3 on Tuesday night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201dThey\u2019re just executing pitches, and they\u2019re ready when called upon, and they\u2019re competing,\u201d Roberts said after his bullpen threw four hitless innings in Los Angeles\u2019 4-1 victory in Game 2 Sunday night. \u201dIt\u2019s a close-knit group down there. \u2026 Those guys know exactly what they want to do, and they\u2019re going out there and executing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Dodgers\u2019 domination has come from everywhere in the bullpen \u2013 not just Jansen, who remains among the top closers in baseball. Jansen has three saves, a victory and 10 strikeouts in six innings, appearing in all five games and allowing just one unearned run.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jansen is still getting multiple-inning saves for Roberts. This year, it\u2019s out of desire rather than utter necessity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201dWe\u2019ve got a really good bullpen in the postseason,\u201d Jansen said. \u201dI\u2019m not just trying to be a hero, but whatever the team needs me to do, and whatever Doc (Roberts) wants me to do, I\u2019m going to be ready to put myself in that position to win ballgames.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Dodgers won 104 games in the regular season with a deep lineup and a talent-packed rotation, but their bullpen has been largely outstanding all year long, easily leading the NL with a 3.38 ERA.<\/span><\/p>\n

In October, the relievers have been even better \u2013 particularly against the Cubs, who are still waiting for their first hit against the group.<\/span><\/p>\n

After starter Rich Hill was pulled for a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning of Game 2, first-year Dodgers right-hander Brandon Morrow faced six Cubs and retired them all, needing only 18 pitches.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cubs got their only baserunner of the series against the bullpen when Jansen hit Anthony Rizzo on the hand in the ninth inning of Game 2. The closer calmly got two more outs to set the stage for Justin Turner\u2019s walk-off homer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201dI\u2019ve never had a bad feeling with our bullpen before, but I think at the same time we\u2019re realizing that it\u2019s one of our strengths of our team,\u201d Kershaw said after the bullpen backed him with four perfect innings in the Dodgers\u2019 Game 1 victory over Chicago on Saturday. \u201dYou still want to go as deep as you can in the game, but I guess handing the ball off to those guys makes it a little easier.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Last year, the Dodgers didn\u2019t have the same array of bullpen talent. They relied heavily on Jansen, Kershaw and Roberts\u2019 creativity, with some nights working out better than others.<\/span><\/p>\n

Roberts was praised for his innovative use of his pitching staff last season, but he has said he doesn\u2019t want to use Kershaw as a reliever this October, preferring to keep his recently injured ace on a regular schedule.<\/span><\/p>\n

So far, he hasn\u2019t even been tempted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last season\u2019s bullpen got problematic postseason appearances from Grant Dayton, who is out for the season with an elbow injury, and Joe Blanton, now with Washington. Pedro Baez, the hardworking right-hander who has been a target of Dodgers fans\u2019 ire for years, was left off the current NLCS roster.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ross Stripling also had troubles last October, but he is still in the Dodgers\u2019 bullpen, although he has yet to pitch in this postseason. Josh Fields is back and better than last season, while the imposing Morrow has appeared in all five games this month, yielding only one run to Arizona.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Dodgers added two key relievers in midseason trades, picking up eighth-inning setup man Tony Watson and left-hander Tony Cingrani. Both settled in quickly with the Dodgers, and they\u2019ve combined to yield only two runs in seven postseason appearances.<\/span><\/p>\n

And this month, the bullpen got Kenta Maeda, the Japanese right-hander who went 13-6 with a 4.22 ERA in 25 starts this season.<\/span><\/p>\n

With no spot for him in the postseason rotation, Maeda willingly took a role as the bullpen\u2019s specialist against right-handed batters. He has been dominant, retiring all nine batters he has faced in three innings of work.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201dKenta just accepted how deep our roster is,\u201d Jansen said. \u201dHe could easily be a starter for us in the postseason, but he understood it\u2019s going to take little things for us to win. It\u2019s going to help us tremendously down the road.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national\/dodgers-dominant-bullpen-is-baffling-foes-in-nl-playoffs\/2017\/10\/16\/7d2ccba2-b242-11e7-9b93-b97043e57a22_story.html<\/span><\/p>\n

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