Dave Roberts' pregame bullpen comments aged like milk for Dodgers in Game 1 vs Reds

Everyone was pretty much in agreement that the thing that could easily derail the Los Angeles Dodgers this postseason is the state of their pitching staff. While most of the attention has been on the health (or lack thereof) of their starting rotation, their bullpen has also come under fire of late.

Starter Blake Snell did his job in Game 1 of the Dodgers' series against the Reds, but their relievers ... made things more interesting than they needed to be.

Bullpen issues have been common in 2025 despite multiple attempts to shore up their relief corps going back to last offseason. Tanner Scott has not been the bullpen anchor that the Dodgers were hoping for when they signed him last offseason. Blake Treinen has become a popular scapegoat for Dodgers fans in search of reasons why LA has underperformed at times this season. The list of underperformances and/or injuries just goes on and one.

Still, that did not stop manager Dave Roberts from declaring before the game that he has "three or four guys" that he thinks could close games for the Dodgers. Given the bullpen's struggles in Game 1, that take seems like a stretch to put it nicely.

Dave Roberts' optimism in Dodgers bullpen was sorely misplaced

After getting seven great innings out of Snell and being staked to a massive lead for the final two innings, you would think that LA's relievers could handle closing the game out with little difficulty thanks to a seven-run cushion.

However, the formerly reliable Alex Vesia only managed to record a single out and ended up with two earned runs on his ledger. Edgardo Henriquez couldn't even match Vesia and didn't record an out at all. Jack Dreyer and Treinen finally settled things down, but neither are the shut down arms you want in October, and Dreyer's line hides the fact that he very nearly allowed the Reds back into the game.

Look, Roberts wasn't ever going to go out in front of cameras and say, "Our bullpen stinks, so we are just crossing our fingers and toes that things work out." He is just the kind of manager that is going to gas his guys up and keep criticism close to the vest even if he comes across as less than genuine. It may annoy fans, but that is just how he handles things.

Right now, it is clear that the Dodgers' bullpen is an area of concern. The offense isn't going to score 10 runs a game for the rest of the postseason. LA's relievers are going to have to step up (and quickly) if the Dodgers are going to make a real run in the playoffs. Based on how things are trending, they may be lucky to get out of the first round with this group no matter what Roberts actually thinks.

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