Starters could be ’pen pals
SAN FRANCISCO — On Thursday, Brett Anderson made his first relief appearance in three years. On Friday, Brandon McCarthy made his first relief appearance in nine years.
Are the Dodgers seriously considering these oftinjured pitchers as relievers on their playoff roster?
Manager Dave Roberts insists the answer is yes — and not only as relievers, he said, “but also as a potential fourth starter.”
Clayton Kershaw has started Game 4 of the National League division series on short rest in each of the last three years, and he likely will do so again this year. His arm is 90 innings fresher than it was at this time last year, because he spent two months on the disabled list because of a back injury.
Kershaw is set to start Game 1, with Rich Hill in Game 2 and Kenta Maeda in Game 3. If Kershaw does not start Game 4, rookie Julio Urias probably will do so.
But, for a runaway division winner, the Dodgers’ bullpen is curiously unsettled on the eve of the playoffs. Closer Kenley Jansen, setup men Joe Blanton and Pedro Baez and left-hander Grant Dayton appear to be the only locks for spots in the postseason bullpen.
That leaves probably four spots up for grabs, and long relief would not appear to be a priority if Ross Stripling and/or Alex Wood are included. Roberts conceded the challenge of getting Anderson or McCarthy warmed up quickly.
“These guys are starters, so it takes them longer than a normal reliever would,” Roberts said. “We’ll have to figure out a way to get it done, if that’s the direction we decide to go.”
On Thursday, the Dodgers alerted Anderson when he would pitch, so he had plenty of time to warm up. They also let him start an inning, rather than rush him into the game in the middle of an inning. But a postseason game might not offer the Dodgers the luxury of mapping out their pitching.
Anderson says he thinks he can handle a bullpen role. In 2013, he made five relief appearances in an 11-day span for the Oakland Athletics. He said he could get up when the bullpen phone rings, throw 10 warmup pitches and enter the game. Left might be right
The Dodgers’ greatest weakness has been exposed so loudly and repeatedly that Roberts has heard plenty about it. They cannot hit left-handed pitching.
“There’s been this narrative I kind of bought into — not looking at the win-loss — that we were completely abysmal,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers entered play Friday ranking last in the major leagues in batting average (.216) and OPS (.634) against left-handers. Even right-handed hitters Justin Turner and Howie Kendrick have hit better against right-handers than left-handers this season.
Yet the Dodgers are 22-21 in games started by lefthanders — a winning record.
“The point of baseball is to win games, and to win more than you lose,” Roberts said. “Even against lefthanded pitching, we’re still winning more than we’ve lost.
“It’s not even a conversation I have with the players. It’s just kind of, oh wow, I didn’t realize that.” Honor roll
Turner was nominated by his fellow major leaguers as one of three finalists for the Marvin Miller Man of the Year award, in recognition of his “on-field performances and contributions to his community.” Other Dodgers finalists for the players’ union honors: Kershaw as NL outstanding pitcher, Corey Seager as NL outstanding rookie and Hill as NL comeback player.