The Los Angeles Dodgers took down the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, 4-3, but it wasn’t without some drama in the ninth inning.
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In keeping with how the Dodgers have been operating lately, a gem by a starting pitcher was almost soiled by the bullpen. Two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell tossed six scoreless innings, punching out nine and allowing just one hit.
The Dodgers offense put up four runs in the top of the seventh, and Emmet Sheehan would keep the Phillies scoreless in the bottom half of the frame. Sheehan then allowed a run before the end of the eighth inning, but LA was still looking hopeful to take a 2-0 NLDS lead back to Dodger Stadium.
After Roki Sasaki was seen warming up in the seventh inning, many assumed that the young phenom would enter to close out the game in the ninth. With two scoreless innings in relief under his belt this postseason, Sasaki didn’t get the ball in this scenario as manager Dave Roberts gave Blake Treinen the nod in the game’s final frame.
Treinen ended the regular season with a 9.64 ERA during 9.1 September innings and raised many eyebrows when trotting out of the bullpen on Monday night. The 37-year-old right-hander proceeded to nearly tie the game, allowing three consecutive hits, with a Nick Castellanos double bringing in two runs.
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Roberts spoke postgame about why Treinen entered the game and not Sasaki.
“I thought about it,” Roberts said of potentially going with Sasaki. “He hasn’t gone two of three much, at all. Just figuring the run right there, Blake’s pitched some of the biggest outs, innings in the postseason for us. And felt really confident right there. And with (Alex) Vesia behind him, if needed. So I didn’t want to just, kind of, preemptively put (Sasaki) in there. Again, I felt good with who we had with a couple of our highest-leverage relievers.”
Roberts added: “Fortunately, [Sasaki] was ready when called upon. I liked him versus Trea [Turner] and he got a big out for us.”
Alex Vesia relieved Treinen and collected the first two outs of the inning, and Sasaki came in for the final out, earning his second career save (both of which occurred in the postseason). The Dodgers will look to punch their ticket to the NLCS on Wednesday against right-hander Aaron Nola, who was surprisingly penciled in as the Phillies’ Game 3 starter.
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