Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — The Wild Card Series got underway on Tuesday, and by the end of the night one thing was abundantly clear. Whomever the Dodgers play in October, they’re going to be facing some elite pitching. So if the Dodgers are hoping to bash their way to the World Series, they might find themselves severely disappointed.
There were four games played yesterday. There were two shutouts. Two teams scored just one run (and one of those teams won the game!) Only one of the games, the Mets’ 8-4 win over the Brewers, saw the two teams combine for more runs than the typical game in 2024. This season the average combined runs was right around seven runs a game (7.03 in the NL, 6.66 in the AL). The others were all low scoring affairs: four total runs in Padres/Braves. Four total in Tigers/Astros. And a grand total of ONE run in the Royals shutout win over the Orioles.
This does not bode well for the Dodgers. Of the twelve teams in the postseason this year, only two, the Orioles and the Mets, have a higher team ERA than the Dodgers’ 3.90 in 2024. And that was a stat compiled WITH Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone. Over the last month, the Dodgers’ ERA has been even more elevated, at 4.20 for the last 30 days.
And, as for the Dodgers’ potential opponent, it’s looking more and more like we’re on a collision course with the Padres. Michael King, who had a rough outing with his command just last week at Dodger Stadium, looked masterful on Tuesday, turning in perhaps the day’s best start, going seven scoreless innings against the Braves, while issuing no walks and striking out twelve. The Braves, increasingly looking like a spent force, were overmatched all night. And it’s going to be more of the same with Joe Musgrove in Game 2.
Now, I do not expect a pitching meltdown like the Dodgers experienced last season against the Diamondbacks. Flaherty and Yamamoto are too good for that. But the Dodgers hitters are going to have to show up ready to play. The last thirty days of the season, they have led baseball with 159 runs scored and a team OPS of .857. This kind of hitting will be tough to replicate in October. After all, the Dodgers aren’t playing the Rockies and the Marlins. But, the team will have to consistently put 4-5 runs on the board in every game to give the battered pitching staff some breathing room.
And, if Day One is any indication, that is going to be a tall order.
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