The LA Dodgers are almost certain to win the National League West Division. The game gap with the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks is 13.0.
When the postseason opens, the team ranked second in the National League will enter the division series of best-of-five series without going through the wild card series (best-of-three best-of-three). The difference in pitching power was confirmed in the four-game series against the Atlanta Braves last weekend. We lost 1 win and 3 losses. Atlanta has the home field advantage with the highest winning percentage in the NL.
The Dodgers won a franchise-high 111 games last year and had home stadium advantage all the way to the World Series. However, they were caught in the division series in the first round of the playoffs by their district rival, the San Diego Padres, who were the regular season’s best. After winning the first game, they lost 3 times in a row and were unable to advance to the WS.
The success of the Western Dodgers’ season is not simply about advancing to the playoffs. As Derek Jeter said, advancing to the WS will determine the success of the season. The Dodgers’ season, which won 111 games last year, was not a success. It was a year that disappointed fans.
I’m anxious this year too. This is because the mound is vulnerable. On the 9th, Walker Buehler, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, released a handwritten statement saying, “The 2023 season is over, and I will return in the 2024 season in good health,” adding to postseason anxiety among fans.
The scenario was that Buehler would undergo a second elbow ligament joint surgery in August of last year and return in September. After consulting with the team doctor, club executives, and family, we concluded that it would be better to return healthy for the 2024 season.
After returning to the mound after a shoulder injury, Clayton Kershaw has been reduced to a five-inning pitcher and is suffering from the triple whammy of decreased velocity, increased walks, and decreased strikeouts. AP Yonhap News
If the postseason opens immediately, there will be no suitable starting rotation. It was unclear whether Buehler would join the team as he was undergoing rehabilitation. The season is effectively over as left-hander Julio Urias is under MLB investigation for domestic violence. He has already been suspended for 20 games for domestic violence once in 2019, so aggravated punishment is expected. Urias’ absence is worse than Buehler’s end to the season.
The Dodgers have the second-highest winning percentage in the NL, but their performance on the mound is their worst since the franchise moved west. The team’s ERA is 4.20 (16th in MLB), the starter’s ERA is 4.53 (18th), and the bullpen is 3.74 (9th).
In matchups against Atlanta and Miami over the weekend and early in the week, they failed to dominate batters other than rookie Bobby Miller (9-3, 3.80) and sophomore Ryan Pepiot.메이저놀이터
In particular, veteran Clayton Kershaw was reduced to a 5-inning pitcher after returning from the long-term injured list (shoulder). Moreover, with his sharp-pointed control missing, he is walking excessively, which is uncharacteristic of Kershaw. In 16 games before the injury, he had 9 strikeouts and 2.3 walks per 9 innings. In the five games following his return, his strikeouts dropped to 7.4, and his walks increased to 4.1. Velocity also decreased from 147 km before the injury to 144 km.
Lance Lynn, who was acquired from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline, expressed anxiety that he might be showing his limitations with consecutive poor pitching in the Atlanta and Miami games. In the game against Miami, he pitched without allowing a run until the 4th inning, but allowed 3 home runs and 8 runs in the 5th inning. He was also on the chopping block of public opinion because manager Dave Roberts did not replace the pitcher early and did not replace the pitcher until he was almost hit.
Finesse features do not work in the postseason. A power pitcher that can escape a crisis with no outs, one out, and third base by striking out works well. The difference in concentration between hitters in the postseason and regular season is significantly different. Bats do not go out in most manned pitches.
Even if the Dodgers replace their starting pitcher when they return to the batting order for the third time, their bullpen is not as strong as it used to be. There are not many relievers who can beat batters in close games. The 2023 season Dodgers cannot be happy even if they win the district championship.