The Los Angeles Dodgers, who won 100 games in the regular season and were considered the favorites to win the National League pennant, are now facing a possible early exit from the postseason after losing the first two games of the NLDS to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Diamondbacks’ pitching and defense stifle Dodgers’ offense
The Diamondbacks, who finished 16 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West, have outplayed their division rivals in every aspect of the game so far. Their pitching staff, led by starters Zac Gallen and Madison Bumgarner, has held the Dodgers to just four runs and 11 hits in 18 innings. Their defense, anchored by shortstop Nick Ahmed and center fielder Ketel Marte, has made several spectacular plays to rob the Dodgers of extra-base hits and runs. Their offense, powered by sluggers Christian Walker and Carson Kelly, has scored 10 runs and hit five home runs against the Dodgers’ vaunted rotation and bullpen.
The Dodgers, who led the majors in runs scored, home runs, and OPS in the regular season, have failed to cash in on their scoring opportunities in the NLDS. They have left 15 runners on base and gone 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position. They have also struck out 23 times and hit into four double plays. Their star players, such as Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, and Max Muncy, have combined for just three hits and one RBI in the series.
Diamondbacks take Game 1 with late rally
The first game of the series was a pitchers’ duel between Gallen and Walker Buehler, who both tossed six scoreless innings. The Dodgers had a chance to break the deadlock in the seventh inning, when they loaded the bases with one out against reliever Tyler Clippard. However, Clippard struck out Bellinger and got AJ Pollock to pop out to end the threat.
The Diamondbacks then rallied for four runs in the eighth inning against Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol. Walker led off with a solo homer to break the scoreless tie. Marte followed with a double and scored on a single by David Peralta. Kelly then delivered a two-run blast to make it 4-0. The Dodgers got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a solo shot by Chris Taylor, but that was all they could muster against Joakim Soria and J.B. Bukauskas, who closed out the game for Arizona.
Diamondbacks stun Dodgers with early onslaught in Game 2
The second game of the series was a different story, as the Diamondbacks jumped on Bumgarner for three runs in the first inning. Ahmed hit a leadoff homer to set the tone. Walker followed with a single and scored on a double by Marte. Peralta then drove in Marte with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.
The Dodgers got a run back in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Seager, but that was all they could get against Bumgarner, who settled down after a shaky start and pitched six innings of one-run ball. The Diamondbacks added another run in the fourth on a solo homer by Josh Rojas off Julio Urias. They then broke the game open in the seventh with three more runs off Joe Kelly and Alex Vesia. Walker hit his second homer of the series, a two-run shot that made it 7-1. Kelly followed with his second homer of the series, a solo blast that made it 8-1.
The Dodgers tried to mount a comeback in the ninth against Stefan Crichton, scoring a run on a double by Will Smith and loading the bases with two outs. However, Crichton struck out Betts to end the game and give the Diamondbacks a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
Dodgers look to flip script in Game 3
The Dodgers will try to avoid being swept by the Diamondbacks in Game 3 on Wednesday at Chase Field. They will send Max Scherzer to the mound, hoping that he can replicate his dominant performance in the NL wild-card game against the St. Louis Cardinals, when he struck out 10 batters in seven innings of one-run ball.
The Diamondbacks will counter with Merrill Kelly, who went 12-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 28 starts in the regular season. Kelly faced the Dodgers twice this year, going 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings.
The Dodgers will need their offense to wake up and support Scherzer if they want to extend their season. They will also need their bullpen to step up and shut down the Diamondbacks’ potent lineup. The Dodgers have not been swept in a postseason series since 2014, when they lost to the Cardinals in the NLDS. They will try to avoid that fate and keep their hopes of winning their second consecutive World Series title alive.
