Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES — Home, sweet, home. One week ago, the Dodgers had trimmed the Giants’ divisional lead to one and were facing two road series against teams that they had owned in 2021: the Rockies and the Diamondbacks. And while they won both of their series this week, they swept neither, and in so doing they dropped a game in the standings. Now facing the final six games at home, the Dodgers have some difficult choices to make.
Division looks to be a longshot
With a two-game deficit, the Dodgers’ chances for a ninth straight NL West crown seem pretty remote at this point. Especially when you consider the Giants’ opponents for the week: the Diamondbacks and Padres. I could easily see San Francisco winning out these two series, which would completely eliminate any chance of the Dodgers’ catching them. But, they wouldn’t even have to win out. If they go 5-1, they win the division, no matter what the Dodgers do. If they go 4-2, the best the Dodgers can hope for is a tie and a game 163. The thought of the Giants going 3-3 against these two opponents is so fanciful that it is barely worth entertaining.
So the Dodgers pretty much HAVE TO sweep the Padres in the series that starts on Tuesday at the Ravine. That is very doable. If going into the weekend, by some miracle, the Diamondbacks are able to get a win in San Francisco and the Dodgers are within a game, of course they will go for it on the weekend. But if they are still two games back with three to play, it’s probably time to start gearing up for the Wild Card game.
Rotation sets up well
We are back to the top of the Dodgers’ rotation, which actually sets the team up pretty well going forward. Manager Dave Roberts said he was going to go straight ahead with his scheduled starters this last week. This would mean Buehler, Scherzer, and Gonsolin against San Diego, Kershaw and Urias on Friday and Saturday. Then, I imagine circumstances will dictate the starting pitcher on the final game on Sunday. If the Dodgers are still in it, Buehler will take his turn for sure, but if the Giants have already clinched, Buehler might just have a few innings of tune-up work and Doc lets somebody like Mitch White or Andre Jackson take the bulk chores on that day.
Do we even want a Game 163?
Of course the Dodgers want to win the division. It just makes their path to the World Series easier. However, what complicates matters is the potential of a Game 163 with the Giants on October 4. Scherzer would get the start in that one, and if the Dodgers’ hitters show up, I would like our chances. But say they don’t show up, and the Dodgers lose a tight one up in Oracle Park. Then what? We have to play the Wild Card anyway and we’ve spent our best pitcher in a losing effort. Then who do you pitch in the Wild Card? Urias or Buehler on short rest? A still-rehabbing Kershaw? Not a lot of great choices. So, while it would be nice to win the division, the potential of losing a game 163 almost makes it better to just take our chances with the Wild Card game against the Cardinals.
Failure to sweep on the road costs LA
A road sweep is hard to pull off. But great teams do it all the time. The fact that the Dodgers had three chances to sweep on their road trip and couldn’t do it once makes you wonder about the grit of this team. They are talented, no question. And certain players have proven that they are clutch, time and time again. But the team as a whole has a nasty habit of being flat at the exact moments that it needs to step up. And here we are in the last week of the season, in a position that nobody thought we’d be in.
It’s time to step up.
