As usual, Dodgers’ expectations high
Team in familiar place: Big payroll, early playoff spot
LOS ANGELES — Best record in the majors. Best mark at home in the National League. Most home runs in the majors. Best bullpen ERA in the NL. The Los Angeles Dodgers have checked nearly every box on the way to their eighth straight postseason appearance.
Now if they could just do something about that 32-year drought in winning a championship.
“It’s World Series or bust every year,” manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday.
With Mookie Betts in the fold, the Dodgers are poised for a new challenge in the postseason, starting with Game 1 Wednesday in their best-of-three playoff series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Dodgers rolled through the shortened 60-game season with a 43-17 mark (21-9 at home) and slugged 118 homers.
Betts was as good as advertised in his first season in Los Angeles, hitting 16 homers at the top of the order. He led the team in stolen bases with 10.
“With Mookie at the top kind of setting that tone, it just has that trickle-down effect,” third baseman Justin Turner said. “Our entire order takes pride in grinding out at-bats and making guys work. We have a lot of guys that can hurt you with one swing.”
The eighth-seeded Brewers advanced to their third straight postseason appearance for the first time in franchise history.
Milwaukee reached the 2018 NL Championship Series, losing to the Dodgers in seven games. It’s the only other time the teams have met in the postseason.
The Dodgers will start righthander Walker Buehler in Game 1 on Wednesday night.
Struggling stars
The shortened season has been a rough go for some big hitters. Reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers is hitting .239 with an on-base percentage of .333 and a slugging percentage of .455. Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich is batting .205 with a .356 on-base percentage and a .430 slugging percentage.
Dodgers offense
Besides Bellinger, the Dodgers’ other key left-handed hitters — Max Muncy and Joc Pederson — have struggled. Muncy batted .192 and Pederson hit .190, so all they’ll be looking to bust out during the postseason. Their collective slump was covered by the performance of Betts, Corey Seager’s return to form and Will Smith’s offensive emergence. Smith is hitting .348 this month, with 12 runs, 14 RBI and an OPS of 1.048. Turner was limited to 10 games this month because of a strained hamstring, but the third baseman known for his breakout postseason performances still hit .394.
Brewers pitching
The Brewers took a major hit when Corbin Burnes went on the injured list last week with an oblique injury that will keep him out of this series. He was one of the NL’S top starters with a 4-1 record and 2.11 ERA. Burnes’ absence puts extra pressure on Brandon Woodruff, who was 3-5 with a 3.05 ERA, and will be working on short rest if he goes in Game 1. Former Dodgers pitcher Brett Anderson is dealing with a blister that forced him out of the final game of the season. Milwaukee’s other starters — Josh Lindblom and Adrian Houser — both have ERAS over 5.00.