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Dodgers: Comparing the Rosters of the Astros and Dodgers
By Hector Ponce
Bullpen
The Astros bullpen is anchored at the end by two nice pieces. Luke Gregerson and Ken Giles. Not to be overlooked is Chris Devenski who has been great this season. I’m going to continue to repeat myself by saying having a reliable bullpen in the playoffs can make or break a team.
The Astros have just that. They can hold leads for the club and get the ball to closer Ken Giles who currently has 20 saves. Chris Devenski has been terrific this season holding opponents to a .162 average against him and WHIP below one. The one thing Houston is lacking is a reliable left-handed reliever who can come in and get one or more outs against left-handed batters.
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For the Dodgers, they have one job and one job only: Get the ball to Kenley Jansen with a lead. They have done that this season and Kenley has not disappointed in the slightest. Kenley has 62 strikeouts and just two walks. Just think about that for a second. Hitters know that he is going to throw a strike and they still can’t hit his cutter.
Kenley has been spectacular and deserves all the praise he is receiving, but with him there that makes Dodger fans underappreciate the others in that bullpen. Especially Pedro Baez who has been brilliant this year. He has a 1.60 ERA and has only allowed seven earned runs in 40 appearances. Along with Baez, there is Josh Fields, Brandon Morrow and Ross Stripling who have all done their due diligence and deserve to be recognized for their seasons.
Next: Top 5 Non-Wavier Deadline Trades
Verdict
Any team that has a closer who will end the game is game-changing. The Dodgers this season seemingly do not lose games that they are leading. The bullpen is the main reason for this. Kenley continues to pitch with a chip on his shoulder and to make things even scarier; the Dodgers are looking to add another weapon, whether it be Brad Hand or Zach Britton, another star bullpen piece would solidify them as the best bullpen in baseball, yes even over the New York Yankees. This is why the Dodgers take the bullpen.
Los Angeles, Dodgers win 6-3