Dave Roberts' Josue De Paula decision completely ruined Dodgers 'bench threat' illusion

Down to their final strike of Game 2 of the NLDS, Max Muncy hit a solo homer off a taxed Atlanta Braves reliever Didier Fuentes to put the Los Angeles Dodgers within one run. Dodgers' No. 1 prospect Josue De Paula was lingering on deck for his first postseason at-bat.

He saw three pitches: he swung and missed at a fastball, took a ball that missed on the outside corner, and then made contact with a changeup at the bottom of the zone, which was popped up into foul territory for the last out of the game.

It was a questionable place for Dave Roberts to deploy a player meant to be the Dodgers' ringer off the bench, and a lot to ask of him. He came in for Tommy Edman and was at the least the bigger power threat in that spot, but tasking him with saving the game for LA in the highest-leverage spot he's ever faced in his career?

The moment clearly got to De Paula. He was too eager to swing, and the plate discipline he went viral for in the regular season went out the window.

A lot of it can and should be blamed on Roberts, but it hurt De Paula's credibility as the lingering lefty beast the Dodgers were trying to make him out to be.

Josue De Paula's tough at-bat to end NLDS Game 2 exposed the Dodgers

There are still reasons the Dodgers might like De Paula in certain spots, and why opponents should be a little more on edge whenever they have to face him. No doubt the Braves pitching staff has done their due diligence when it comes to the scouting reports, but there's just less information on De Paula than anyone else in LA's offense.

Conversely, though, the Dodgers don't really know what they're going to get out of him, either. Adding him to the postseason roster was a nice idea that fans were all for, but he only had 31 at-bats in the regular season. As good as they were, there was no telling if he'll shrink under the bright lights.

If the rest of LA's offense can get their act together and get past Atlanta, De Paula should have more opportunities. If Shohei Ohtani continues to underperform, Roberts might be more inclined to turn to his No. 1 prospect earlier than he did.

But whatever that was on Sunday night can't happen again.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow