This is not the article I wanted to write, and definitely not the article you wanted to read.
The season is over, long before anyone expected it to be. It is truly a numbing loss. The Dodgers led 3-1 in the 8th inning at home and blew it. That’s really all there is to it. Atrocious bullpen management combined with lackluster hitting was ultimately the downfall for the 106 win Los Angeles Dodgers.
The game started on the highest of highs. After Walker Buehler threw a 1-2-3 1st inning, Joc Pederson doubled off of Stephen Strasburg and Max Muncy followed with a no doubt home run. Before you could blink your eyes, the Dodgers were ahead 2-0.
Chavez Ravine was electric. In the 2nd, Kiké Hernández added a third Dodger run on a towering home run of his own. It would be the last run the team scored all year, and until the 8th inning, seemed like it would be enough.
Walker Buehler was phenomenal. His career high 117 pitches gave the Dodgers more than a fair chance to win the game. His only blemish came in the 6th, allowing one run on an RBI single by Juan Soto. Besides that run, Buehler was nearly perfect. He left the game to a standing ovation with two outs in the 7th inning. His final stat line: 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 7 K, 3 BB. He was incredible, and showed the heart of an ace. What seemed to be a season saving, incredibly memorable performance, would soon be overshadowed by the events that followed.
Buehler was relieved by Clayton Kershaw, which was the plan all along. Despite a fully rested bullpen, Roberts was adamant on using Kershaw after Buehler’s night was over. Kershaw inherited runners on first and second with two outs. It took Kershaw three pitches to strike out Adam Eaton to end the 7th inning and end the threat. He did his job. Kershaw delivered in October. After 7 innings, the Dodgers lead 3-1. The clubhouse was getting ready for the champagne shower it would never receive.
For some reason, Kershaw was sent back out to the mound for the 8th inning. Dave Roberts abandoned his philosophy of the last four years — playing the matchups — and decided Game 5 of the NLDS was the time to stick with the guy he believed in, Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw proceeded to allow back to back home runs in the top of the 8th inning to Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto. The game was tied at 3. Adam Kolarek, who had retired Soto three times in the series, watched from the bullpen. “Playoff Kershaw” had returned in its purest form. To Kershaw’s defense, he was put in a position to fail. He should never have been asked to go back out to the mound. The pitch Rendon hit out was not a bad one, more a great piece of hitting by Rendon. However, the 89 mph slider — that didn’t have much break to it — to Soto missed the target by about a foot and was sent 449 feet over the wall. All in all, Kershaw threw 6 pitches. He recorded one enormous strikeout, and made everyone forget about the previous seven innings with two pitches that were hit for home runs.
After the damage was done, Roberts finally decided to bring in his best reliever, Kenta Maeda. Maeda proceeded to strike out all three batters he faced, making it even harder for Dodger fans to comprehend was just hit them. The party like atmosphere at Dodger Stadium had completely vanished. But the game was tied, and the Dodgers still had a shot to win the game, and ultimately the series. After all, the team had twelve walk off wins in the regular season, why should anyone be worried?
After the top of the Dodgers’ order went down quietly in the bottom half of the 8th, Joe Kelly threw a 1-2-3 9th inning that featured two strikeouts. He threw ten pitches in the inning, all knuckle-curves. Just like Kershaw in the 7th, he came in and did his job.
The Dodgers came about five feet from winning it in the 9th. With Kiké Hernández on first base, rookie catcher Will Smith hit a rocket out to right field, only for it to be caught on the warning track. Dodger Stadium jumped, only to very quickly sit back down.
Free baseball! Dave Roberts wouldn’t dare to make the same mistake he did earlier, and send a pitcher back out to the mound for a second inning of work after having success in the first, especially with Kenley Jansen ready to go in the bullpen, right? Wrong!
Joe Kelly is not a multiple inning pitcher, and hadn’t done so since August 24 versus the Yankees (1.2 IP). With your back against the wall, why ask him to throw a second inning? Regardless, Kelly trotted back out to the mound for the 10th and all hell broke loose. He walked Adam Eaton after being ahead 1-2, Rendon doubled, and suddenly the Nationals had runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. Roberts then elected to intentionally walk Juan Soto to load the bases. This decision has been criticized, but ultimately is not the one that killed the Dodgers.
Ignoring his struggles, Roberts left Kelly on the mound to face Howie Kendrick. The second pitch of the at bat ended the season for Los Angeles. 106 wins and World Series dreams all shattered with one swing of the bat. Kendrick sent an 0-1 fastball over the wall in center field for a grand slam. The Nationals led 7-3.
Dodger Stadium fell silent. It was then that Roberts decided he had seen enough from Kelly, whose fantastic 9th inning performance was completely forgotten at this point. Kenley Jansen was brought into the game and retired both batters he faced to end the 10th. The fans that remained serenaded Roberts with intense boos on his way to and from the mound.
Jansen only faced five batters in the NLDS, and retired all of them. However, his appearances came when the Dodgers were leading by 6, and trailing by 4.
There are so many questions that can be asked about this game.
Why did Kershaw come back out for the 8th? Why didn’t Jansen come in for the 10th? Why wasn’t Maeda used earlier?
After the game, the clubhouse was understandably full of emotion.
Kershaw put all of the blame on himself. “I had one job to do, that was to get three outs. I got one out, and didn’t get the other two, they went over the fence, cost us the game right there.”
Walker Buehler was seen in tears, revealing that he had lost his aunt only two days ago, but was able to put things in perspective following a gut wrenching loss. When asked if this loss is a nightmare, Buehler responded, “I wouldn’t say that. We get to play a game for a living and make a lot of money and get to be around some really cool guys. It’s a lot better than a 9-to-5.” Commenting on his pitch count, the true competitor came out in Buehler, “It’s the playoffs. I’d throw 150 pitches if they asked me to.” Dodger fans are truly lucky to call this young star their ace.
The questions and frustration are going to continue to roll in. This is going to be an incredibly tough one to get over. October 9th is the earliest the Dodgers have been eliminated from the playoffs since 2014, when they were eliminated by the St. Louis Cardinals on October 7th.
I expect a lot to change between now and spring training. No, I do not expect Roberts to get fired, but I do expect there to be roster adjustments. Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu are both free agents. David Freese and Russell Martin have both been linked to retirement rumors. In his postgame media session, Hill made it clear that he would love to return as a member of the Dodgers next season. The starting rotation next season should look something like: Buehler, Maeda, Urias, Kershaw, Gonsolin, May.
A franchise record 106 wins, best record in the National League, MVP caliber season from Cody Bellinger, Cy Young caliber season from Hyun-Jin Ryu, all overshadowed by one massive choke in Game 5 of the NLDS.
Thank you for an unbelievable season, I will always bleed blue.
