Life as a sports fan in Los Angeles was looking quite drab at the start of the summer. First round exits for both the wounded Lakers and overhyped Clipppers in the NBA playoffs gave Angelinos nothing to cheer about as Lebron trounced his way to another ring. We have no football team so offseason trade deals in the NFL mean little. The Kings proved to be just a tease when they lost in the Western Conference Finals in early June. Meanwhile, both the Angels and the Dodgers appeared to be battling for who could embarrass the city more in their respective MLB divisions.
June 22 started off like any other day in Los Angeles. The Dodgers, facing a possible third straight loss to the NL West division rival Diamondbacks, arrived at Dodger stadium without much hope as the weight of last place hung heavily on their shoulders. The inconsistent Zack Greinke took the mound for LA and tossed 8 innings with only 1 run allowed, supported by 6 runs from the offense that would lift the team to a desperately needed win. A win like this could spark a small bit of excitement, but Los Angeles knows better. Why get our hopes up? At this point, every time we clawed our way to a decent win, it would be followed by a pair of disappointing losses.
The next five days promised five more challenging matchups with the Padres, Giants, and Phillies, leaving Dodger fans with their fingers crossed but no real expectation of the spectacular. To the horror of Angel fans, whose team was flailing pathetically despite the efforts of phenom Mike Trout, the Dodgers pulled off the impossible and won all five, giving them an almost unfathomable six-game win streak. They didn’t stop there, though, pulling themselves from 9 ½ games out of first place to first in the division by July 22.
Now sitting atop the NL West, 10 ½ games ahead of their closest threat, the Dodgers will soar into the playoffs on a high. Although the playoffs prove to be a new animal each year, the Dodgers may be ready to tame that beast after all. Their most impressive lead since 1977 is no fluke, as a 29-5 hot streak since the All Star break reveals a team with timely hitting, solid starting pitching, and a bullpen that can be trusted.
It is hard to pin down one aspect of a team that makes them a successful playoff contender, but I will make it as clear cut as possible—bullpen pitching.
I would choose a dominating bullpen over power hitters and flame-throwing starters any day simply because they decide the outcome of the game. No matter how well the starter holds the opponent down or how many runs the offense puts up, a game can unravel if a shaky relief pitcher is forced to the mound and then to his knees by the pressures of the playoffs.
As an Angels fan myself, I know all too well what inconsistency in the bullpen could cost a team. Having to watch Ernesto Frieri give up home run after home run in the ninth takes a real toll on a fan.
The Dodgers have two relief pitchers with ERAs at or below 1.95 in closer Kenley Jansen and middle relief Paco Rodriguez and several others in the range of 3.00. Adding former Giants closer Brian Wilson to the mix will give LA extra late inning power, if not just intimidation via fearsome beard. The Yasiel Puig Show with special guests Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez may be filling Chavez Ravine to its maximum capacity, but it will be the bullpen that brings the Dodgers their ring.
I worry that the hype and current success of the Dodgers could lead to a dangerous arrogance down the stretch, but this is a team that knows what it means to lose. They have finally snared a winning formula and I don’t think Mattingly will let his players fumble it away too easily.
You don’t come from the very bottom without remembering exactly what it took to get to the top. The Dodgers will make some noise in October for sure, and dependimg on the continued stability of their bullpen, they will by vying for the spot of World Champion come time for the Fall Classic.
