Once you win as many video games because the Dodgers did final season and don’t carry residence a World Collection title, it’s powerful. Once you don’t even make it to the World Collection, that’s dangerous. And while you don’t even make it out of the primary spherical of the playoffs… nicely that’s downright embarrassing.
The 111 win Dodgers have been gentleman’s swept by the San Diego Padres final yr within the NL Division Collection and it marked one other time the Dodgers had been surprised by an opponent. ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney puzzled aloud to our Doug McKain in a latest interview with DodgersNation.com if perhaps the way in which the Dodgers received beat by the San Diego was an excellent factor.
“I type of surprise if getting their butts kicked by the Padres within the postseason final yr was an excellent reminder (for them). I’ve seen so many groups by means of the years who will feed off the anger, the adrenaline of unexpectedly dropping a sequence. As a result of you realize the Dodgers, having gained a World Collection in 2020, having all that common season success final yr, they went into the playoff feeling actually good about themselves. And so they most likely have been shocked to be at residence within the third week of October reasonably than taking part in for a championship.
In order that gasoline, I guess you they’re using it into this season.”
We’ve seen the chin punch loss work for LA earlier than — not too long ago, the truth is. The 2019 Dodgers have been a powerhouse that was basically on a World Collection or bust path. That’s, till the Washington Nationals received scorching on the proper time and upended them 3 video games to 2 within the NLDS. After working by means of the frustration, the tears, and a sense of vacancy all throughout the clubhouse, a restocked roster got here again and gained the championship the following season.
Sure, that’s the closely abridged model of the 2020 World Collection.
After the 2022 embarrassment by the hands of the Padres within the NLDS as soon as once more, the Dodgers went out and retooled and are on a mission to repeat historical past.
This time, they didn’t exit and add a Mookie Betts kind of participant. If something, they let a few of the greatest or most necessary gamers stroll. The place there was a Trea Turner there’s now a Miguel Rojas or occasional Chris Taylor or Mookie Betts. The place there was a Gavin Lux final yr there’s now a Miguel Vargas. And the place there was as soon as a Cody Bellinger there’s now a James Outman.
The roster isn’t as plug and play because it was.
“They’re going to need to grind it out as a result of, let’s face it, it’s not as dominant of a crew because it was final yr. And the Padres are a greater common season crew. The Diamondbacks are higher. We’ve seen the Giants play higher of late… I suppose that’s going to assist them.”
“The most effective instance of a crew doing that, I lined the 1998 Yankees who set a document with 125 wins together with the postseason. A part of what drove them the entire yr was they have been knocked out of the primary spherical of the playoffs the yr earlier than by Cleveland and it actually pissed off the gamers. And I’m wondering the place there can be instances within the playoffs this yr the place the Dodgers profit from what occurred final yr.”
The Dodgers are up two video games to at least one to this point within the season sequence this yr. However, as we realized final yr, it doesn’t actually matter what you do within the common season. It’s nonetheless good to beat them although.
