Dodgers bullpen's Game 3 showing gave them the confidence they need for World Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers were riding high after taking the first two games of the NLCS out in Milwaukee. However, as the series shifted to Los Angeles, the Brewers seemed to have a chance to get back in this thing.

After all, the Dodgers needed to wring every ounce out of Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with Snell throwing eight one-hit innings in Game 1 and Yamamoto rebounding from a leadoff home run to Jackson Chourio to go the distance in Game 2. That was 17 out of a possible 18 innings thrown by Dodgers starters, an unfathomable feat in today's game.

The concern was that at some point, the starters would no longer be able to carry the water and the problematic bullpen would have to pick up the slack at some point this October. Whether that came in the NLCS or the World Series was anyone's guess, but the prospect threatened to doom Los Angeles's chances at repeating.

That scenario came to fruition in Game 3, with Tyler Glasnow gassed after 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball, leaving Dave Roberts no choice but to turn the game over to the weakest unit on the team. The result has confidence levels rising throughout Southern California.

The Dodgers' bullpen rising to the challenge in Game 3 could allow them to ride a wave of confidence into the World Series

Roberts went to four different relievers to get the job done over the final 3 1/3 innings of action. From Alex Vesia to Blake Treinen to Anthony Banda, and finally to Roki Sasaki to close it out, the much-maligned group put up a scoreless showing to take a commanding 3-0 in the series.

Now on the doorstep of another World Series berth, the Dodgers have to feel good about what they saw.

Truth be told, the club doesn't need the entire bullpen firing on all cylinders in October. If only a handful of key arms can step up, they'll be well set up for success, especially given the dominance present in the starting rotation. Game 3 may have shown who belongs in Roberts' circle of trust as the chase for a second consecutive ring rages on.

Alex Vesia has been one of Los Angeles's most consistent performers out there. The lefty posted a 3.02 ERA and 33.8% strikeout rate during the regular season. While he hit the skids a bit in August and September, finding his groove now is all that matters.

Over his two seasons in LA, Anthony Banda has been consistently better than expected. His results outperform his peripherals, but with such a large sample, it's a decent bet that he'll continue to produce better than expected results.

The reinvented Roki Sasaki has been mostly solid in his new relief role with a 1.29 ERA over seven postseason innings. He did have a scare in Game 1, but was rescued by Blake Treinen (of all people).

Speaking of Treinen, while the much larger regular-season sample makes him hard to trust, his most recent appearances have been encouraging. The grizzled vet has the experience pitching in these pressure-packed moments, and that is something that matters.

A collection of three or four trusted relievers is all the Dodgers need out of the bullpen to feel confident. Game 3's showing proves that they should be able to get at least that, making a second-straight title feel that much more inevitable.