LOS ANGELES — Progressing to the NLCS marked the paramount triumph of the day for the Los Angeles Dodgers, yet they departed Dodger Stadium cherishing an additional motive for celebration.
Their assemblage of throwers just might come together.
If you follow baseball, you’ve likely come across multiple remarks concerning the vulnerable state of the Los Angeles pitching group as the postseason commenced. Their initial lineup was undeniably among baseball’s elite, but the group of relief pitchers … ah, the group of relief pitchers.
[Acquire further L.A. updates: Dodgers team news]
Followers, rival teams, and the Dodgers themselves were aware that their stellar cadre of initial throwers would eventually exit each contest, at which point the team would have to select from a collection of options that were, uniformly, not promising. Tanner Scott, displaying an ERA of 6.92 in the latter portion of the season? Blake Treinen, who recorded a 9.64 during September? Emmet Sheehan, the initial thrower transformed into a reliever, possessing no prior postseason exposure? Clayton Kershaw, who is, as you well know, Clayton Kershaw? Even the Dodgers’ more consistent relief personnel, like Alex Vesia, had committed errors in recent games.
Nonetheless, the Dodgers currently occupy this position. It’s not that the group of relief pitchers entirely vindicated themselves during this series, particularly considering Kershaw’s stumble in Game 3. (And it necessitated an even larger error from the relief pitchers to secure their Game 4 victory.) However, given the performances of Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki over a collective full game of baseball on Thursday, it may not be of consequence.
Both Glasnow and Sasaki possess talent equivalent to that of ace throwers, although their Dodgers careers to this juncture have seen them more defined by their disadvantages. In Glasnow, L.A. possessed a thrower with one of the more inconsistent medical histories in the sport, in addition to a postseason record that was not significantly better. With Sasaki, they held a thrower who struggled to deliver strikes and eliminate batters as an initial thrower, then spent over four months on the injured list due to a shoulder issue.
But on Thursday, both throwers began to reshape those narratives in real time.
Glasnow, who had been subjected to a great deal of speculation regarding his capability to perform during critical contests, competed against Cristopher Sánchez, anticipated to be a finalist for the NL Cy Young award, and outperformed him. His array of four pitches overwhelmed a Phillies lineup that had broken through Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Kershaw 24 hours prior.
One could discern that Glasnow was energized based on his fastball velocity: averaging 96.7 mph, a complete increment exceeding his season average, peaking at 99.1 mph.
The sole query remaining after Glasnow’s start involved why Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removed him from the contest after six innings and a mere 83 pitches.
The justification was revealed to be cramps, which Glasnow indicated he began to experience near the conclusion of the third inning.
Within the Dodgers’ rotation of high-value ace throwers, Glasnow represented the most significant concern entering this postseason, especially after he was absent during the team’s 2024 World Series journey as a result of an elbow strain. He experienced his inaugural taste of Dodger Stadium postseason baseball on Thursday, and he could not have presented himself in a more commanding manner.
“I am beyond thrilled for Tyler,” Roberts expressed afterward. “Observing events from the outside to some extent last year, while desiring to be involved. And throughout the offseason, this season, he eagerly anticipated this moment, the postseason, and the chance to contribute.
“Consequently, he has prepared himself physically and mentally. And his performance was exemplary, today belonged to him. Today was his opportunity. And I was merely delighted to witness him rise to the occasion and furnish us with an enormous boost. I am confident that this will propel him moving forward.”
The Dodgers have acquired a recent weapon for late-inning situations in Roki Sasaki.
(MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Glasnow’s start sustained the Dodgers in a scoreless deadlock up until the seventh inning, at which point the two teams exchanged a singular run each. The Phillies’ solitary run transpired when converted initial thrower Emmet Sheehan committed a mistake and permitted a Nick Castellanos double. The Dodgers recuperated that run with a Mookie Betts bases-loaded walk against Jhoan Duran, subsequently transitioning to another converted initial thrower, Sasaki, in the eighth inning. Followed by the ninth inning. And the 10th inning.
“At that instant when we transitioned to him, I was contemplating — at that point in time — two [innings],” Robert stated. “Subsequently, I simply believed that the substance, considering the game’s condition, indicated that he could withstand us extending him. And he exhibited no reluctance. He was prepared, and he did not evade it.”
Sasaki commenced his MLB journey as a vastly hyped rookie, yet the anticipation waned during April and May. He could not deceive batters with his restricted pitch repertoire. He struggled to adequately maintain the ball within the strike zone. He was unable to attain the triple-digit heat that had initially established him as a phenomenon.
Landing on the injured list appeared almost as a relief, and Roberts remarked at a certain juncture during the season that he remained uncertain if Sasaki would even return. Solely later in the year was Sasaki announced to be returning as a reliever. That return initiated on a robust trajectory leading into Thursday, with Sasaki having made five scoreless appearances, encompassing three during the postseason, although this represented a distinct challenge.
The Dodgers requested Sasaki to navigate through a complete turn of the Phillies’ seasoned, potent lineup. It ultimately proved to be an uneven contest.
Reaching 99.5 mph with his fastball while throwing one of the most exceptional splitters globally, Sasaki demonstrated resolve and propelled the Dodgers into extra innings. He did not resemble a recent thrower, merely his former self.
“It simply felt that my fastball velocity had reverted to its previous state, and the command of the fastball aligned with my expectations,” Sasaki conveyed postgame via interpreter Will Ireton. “Therefore, I believe that truly aids with the off-speed. And consequently, I genuinely feel confident in my capacity to attack within the zone.”
Even preceding his agreement with the Dodgers, Sasaki had been contending with velocity concerns, to the degree that he purportedly solicited MLB suitors to endeavor to clarify their comprehension of the events that unfolded throughout his disappointing 2024 season in NPB. He intimated that the Dodgers ultimately discerned the explanation during his rehabilitation.
“I want to commend the pitching coach in Arizona, during my rehabilitation, for possessing the capacity to explicitly identify the issue and reach a consensus regarding the fundamental origin of the problem,” Sasaki explained. “And concerning the means of achieving that point, that represented a distinct process. However, in essence, it genuinely aided me, as I regained my velocity, that I possessed the capacity to genuinely identify and possess a lucid course forward.”
At the conclusion of Sasaki’s three innings on Thursday, Roberts undertook the infrequent action of departing the dugout to acknowledge the right-hander’s performance.
“You are alluding to one of the most extraordinary all-time appearances from the ‘pen that I can recall,” Roberts asserted. “I cannot sufficiently articulate his development and his contribution to this club. We are beginning to perceive something truly exceptional within him, which explains why he was pursued so vigorously during the offseason.
“However, regarding his accomplishments now, on the most significant of stages, he is merely scratching the surface.”
Consequently, as they advance to the NLCS, it appears that the Dodgers can maintain confidence in their four initial throwers — Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, and Yamamoto — in addition to Sasaki. Perhaps Vesia has also reentered the circle of trust, following his scoreless 11th inning performance subsequent to Sasaki.
Four capable initial throwers and two proficient relief personnel may not appear adequate to secure a World Series victory, although it has occurred in the past by teams such as the 2019 Washington Nationals, who innovatively campaigned while featuring an upset victory over a 106-win Dodgers team. Starters emerged from relief, reaching the point of Patrick Corbin throwing three scoreless innings during Game 7 of the Fall Classic.
This year’s Dodgers almost certainly face additional scrambling ahead, although Glasnow could potentially assist with that aspect as well, given that he threw 1 2/3 innings from the bullpen during Game 1. It will not be facile from this point onward, yet the Dodgers have already addressed more formidable inquiries.
