Craig Kimbrel saved Dodgers in entirely new way during Friday bus trip

When the Los Angeles Dodgers flipped the offseason in the blink of an eye by trading for Craig Kimbrel, they were looking for a savior in more ways than one.

Or perhaps AJ Pollock just wasn’t a qualified mechanic?

According to Dave Roberts, Kimbrel saved the Dodgers this week in more ways than one — and this time, it didn’t take 15 extra high-stress pitches to get ‘er done.

Friday’s bus trip from the hotel to Citizens Bank Park seemed to be going smoothly, by all accounts, but didn’t get completed as it was supposed to (because bad things happen in Philadelphia, of course). Midway through the journey, the bus caught a flat, rendering it all but useless (tires … they’re essential).

In the nick of time, though, Kimbrel hopped off the bus, leaned down like a hawk, glared at the tire until it re-inflated, and got the Dodgers to the ballpark on time.

Or, at least, that’s what we assume happened when Roberts signaled to the back of the bus and called upon the eight-time All-Star to close the perforation in the tire.

Dodgers’ Craig Kimbrel saved team by fixing a flat tire

And, immediately after he got the job done, he and Will Smith shared a heartfelt handshake and hug while the rest of the team watched/asked them nicely to sit down so they’d stop blocking the aisle.

Also, according to our inside sources, Kimbrel asked the rest of the bus for a spare, at which point Mookie Betts hopped up and bowled, polishing off a 7-10 split.

Dodgers fans also came to the rescue in the wake of Kimbrel’s feat of strength, delivering us a visual representation of what the effort probably looked like.

Add in a little more pine tar/grease on the wrench, and yeah, that’s probably it.

The Dodgers had more than enough trouble with the Phillies when they encountered them last weekend on their home turf, needing a similarly-timed last-second Gavin Lux bailout to prevent a four-game sweep.

Ideally, the team has a smoother ride this weekend in an unfamiliar city.

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