A key piece of the Dodgers success over the years has been credited to the bullpen the team possesses.
Scores of faces have come and gone thru the bullpen door, good or bad and day in and day out, they usually carry the fate of the game in their hands.
For the most part, the bullpen has had its fair share of success and failure and the 2022 season is no different. The bullpen has had to carry a brunt of the work due to Kershaw’s latest injury and lackluster offensive prowess.
The latest series against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies showed how lackluster this year’s edition of the bullpen may be.
Over the course of the 7 games between the two teams, the bullpen gave up 29 runs. The bullpen was a major talking point following the two series, especially two losses against the lowly Pirates, a franchise not known for being an offensive powerhouse.
The new faces such as Yency Almonte, Daniel Hudson, Tyler Anderson and new star closer Craig Kimbrel have had their fair shares of success and failure, specifically in high-leverage moments.
The 29 runs allowed by the pen has marred the “impervious” image that the bullpen had been given over the years. The bulk of the bullpen does lie with veteran arms but the new additions don’t seem to be the pieces the team needs in order to pursue another championship. The likes of Kimbrel, who hasn’t been used to his full extent like Kenley Jansen was, is someone who should’ve surpassed Jansen’s shadow and yet has had his struggles.
Summer of Hope?
The future for a bullpen, that, for the time being will carry the team thru the summer, looks bleak and the opponents will continue to challenge the Dodgers for the rest of the season. The hope besides the bullpen lies in the offense, which has also lacked a potency and will need to work in conjunction in order to pad their position of 1st place in the National League West.
