RELIEF, AT LAST
The Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen hasn’t had to shoulder closer duties exclusively this season, ceding some outings to Corey Knebel and Blake Treinen.
They call it Echo Park
LOS ANGELES >> for a reason.
Chris Taylor’s ninth-inning home run Wednesday wasn’t the first hard shot to land.
The other was a very large calling card that the Dodgers bullpen dropped on the Giants and anyone else they might play.
Before the Dodgers could win 3-1 over St. Louis, they had to avoid losing, and the relievers gave the Cardinals two hits and no runs while they got 14 outs.
They are playing with a couple of full decks in their bullpen in particular and their pitching staff in general. Because they could get through the wild-card game without using Julio Urias, they have the 20-game winner in Saturday’s Game 2 behind Walker Buehler in Game 1 today. Then they can return to Max Scherzer in Game 3 Monday at home. That was the ideal, and unlikely, scenario.
They never have approached a postseason situation in the Guggenheim ERA with such a healthy and versatile set of relievers. They also have solved whatever closer questions they’ve had in the past by simply
Today: Dodgers at Giants, NLDS Game 1, 6:37 p.m.,TBS
Astros win: McCullers is sharp as Houston beats White Sox .
Rays win: Defending AL champion Tampa Bay shuts out Red Sox.
Scouting report: A look at how the Dodgers and Giants match up.
Alexander: Dodgers and Giants have met in the postseason before.
Hoornstra: Wild-card games did plenty to justify their existence.