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4 fatal decisions that resulted in Dodgers getting swept by Diamondbacks
4 fatal decisions and one really, really bad offense, of course.
First and foremost, let's get this out of the way: the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting pitching and offense is fully to blame for the NLDS sweep at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks. There's no excuse for how Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller, Lance Lynn, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman performed.
That said ... if the Dodgers had any foresight, knowing that their roster regularly disappears in October, perhaps they couldn't done a bit of work to get ahead of it. It takes an entire organization -- top to bottom -- making the right decisions and coming through in the biggest moments to capture a World Series.
LA's decision makers knew this team was down bad. They suffered a ton of injuries, experienced a number of regressions, and were relying a lot on rookie performances and one-year flyer players to get them through what ended up being an impressive 2023 season.
But as we all know, the playoffs are a different beast. It doesn't matter how you perform from April-September. Any contending rosters needs to be near-ironclad with adequate depth and enough veterans/clutch performers to even entertain going on a deep run.
Combined with all of that not necessarily being present on the Dodgers -- something that was well known once the conversation shifted to October baseball -- whoever made these calls further put the team in a terrible spot that sealed their fate.
4 fatal decisions that resulted in Dodgers getting swept by Diamondbacks
Giving Each Starter too Long of a Leash
Maybe this is nitpicking because the Dodgers were already up against it with an ailing rotation, but some might argue both Kershaw and Miller were left in for too long as everything continued to spiral. The Dodgers had plenty of bullpen assistance and didn't seem to act with the necessary urgency. For example, after seeing what had happened to Kershaw, the Dodgers could've exercised caution and removed Miller after he allowed his second run in the first inning.
When Lance Lynn took the mound in Game 3, it was already too late. He pitched two clean innings, then gave up four solo homers in the third inning, and Dave Roberts couldn't pull him because he went homer, out, homer, out, homer, homer. It all happened so fast.
As it pertained to Kershaw and Miller, they were faltering from the start and the warning signs were there. Probably should've yanked them a couple batters earlier and maybe the damage wouldn't have been as daunting for the offense to respond.
Leaving Ryan Yarbrough off NLDS roster
Speaking of ... wasn't the entire reason behind Ryan Yarbrough's acquisition to use him as a piggybacker in a playoff series? The soft-throwing lefty, who doubles as a spot starter and a long relief option, was the perfect arm to call upon if a game got blown up early or if Roberts needed three or more innings out of the 'pen.
Yarbrough wasn't exactly great during the second half with the Dodgers, but he had his moments. And he was certainly a better option to carry on the NLDS roster than Michael Grove, another rookie, who gave up a run in his first postseason appearance on Oct. 7 and then worked his way in and out of trouble on Wednesday.
Maybe this was a move for the future to prepare Grove for these spots, but the Dodgers gave the nod to a guy with a 6.13 ERA and 1.48 WHIP who didn't have the ability to successfully pitch two or more innings without getting shelled.
Yarbrough, had he been used properly if the Dodgers acted swiftly with removing Kershaw and Miller, could've been of value. Instead, they punted Game 1 by calling on Emmet Sheehan after Kershaw was taken out, and then for some reason gave Ryan Brasier 2.1 innings (he gave up a run, shocker) when he only threw more than 1.2 innings one two occasions in 2023.
Yarbrough could've deleted innings in Game 2 and perhaps helped the Dodgers go with a more effective bullpen game over Lynn in Game 3.
Kolten Wong Game 2
We must ask ... what did the Dodgers see in Kolten Wong to give him a spot on the NLDS roster? It's no offense to the veteran, but did 20 part-time games of solid play really change the conversation after he was downright terrible with the Mariners from April-August?
Ditching Michael Busch in favor of Wong led to the Game 2 moment when Roberts called on the lefty to deliver in a huge spot with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Wong grounded out and then ended the game by lining out to center in the Dodgers' loss.
It's not like we're sitting here and calling out random moments devoid of warning signs that didn't sit well with us. Wong's inclusion on the roster was questioned plenty, leading to a larger discussion about the Dodgers' depth, which we thought was addressed at the trade deadline, but apparently wasn't (because Amed Rosario was left off the NLDS roster, too).
Wong shouldn't be catching vitriol because he didn't ask for this. The Dodgers randomly elevated him in abrupt fashion, and before he knew it, the team he was on for six weeks was asking him to carry its playoff hopes on his shoulders.
Who in the world thought this was a good idea, even with the limited options at their disposal?
Not Using Ryan Pepiot
Please tell me whyyyyyyyyyyy!! Pepiot was arguably the Dodgers' hottest pitcher heading into October. Sounds crazy, but it's kind of true. From Aug. 19 until the end of the year, Pepiot logged 42 innings and posted a 2.14 ERA and 0.76 WHIP with 38 strikeouts.
Did he earn a playoff start? That's up for debate, with some Dodgers fans believing he certainly did. Did he earn a playoff appearance? Absolutely. Three games went by, every Dodgers starter got shelled, and Roberts didn't even look in Pepiot's direction at any point.
Much like Yarbrough, if Pepiot wasn't going to start a game, he certainly needed to be used as an emergency long relief option ... or else what was the point? Anybody care to explain? Pepiot didnt appear in a game while Roberts burned the bullpen in Game 2 when he asked all of Brasier, Brusdar Graterol, Joe Kelly and Evan Phillips to pitch 1.1 innings or more.
Didn't he deserve the nod over Sheehan in the Game 1 situation, at least? He was better than Sheehan this season and even built up a track record dating back to 2022. Who knows ... maybe Pepiot doesn't give up a run and the Dodgers aren't in a 9-0 hole. Maybe Kershaw's pulled at four earned runs, Pepiot takes over, and LA manages to maintain some positive morale with a lesser deficit.
But we'll never know because the Dodgers didn't even try. We're not saying it would've turn around the NLDS, but it might've given them a fighting chance at some point over these lifeless three games.
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