There’s a nice little chill in the morning air around here, and that can only mean the start of a new season: playoffs. The Dodgers might be starting it off as wild cards, and that feels apropos for how they’ve been playing this season. Will we see World Series caliber players today? Or will we get a crew that could use a refresher on the fundamentals? They’re wild cards. At least it’s been entertaining.
Dodgers Notes
Emmet Sheehan is looking good for the Dodgers lately, writes Sonja Chen at MLB.com — so good that he could end up being an essential part of the team’s postseason picture. He’s likely bound for the bullpen, which isn’t a bad idea given how relief pitching has been performing these days.
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Shohei Ohtani is set for his first two-way postseason with the Dodgers, and we all have great expectations, writes Alden González at ESPN. “Everybody’s waiting for that moment, when he takes the ball in a big game and he has to go bat in the same [inning],” Teoscar Hernández said. “It’s gonna be exciting. I can’t wait.”
Well, maybe not everybody. Rumor has it that other teams aren’t too happy that Ohtani gets to stay in the game as DH after he’s replaced on the mound, essentially giving the Dodgers an extra pitcher every start, writes Bob Nightengale at USA Today.
Clayton Kershaw knows that there are only so many spots in the pitching rotation, and he also knows that he likely won’t get one, writes Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic. But in his last postseason, the Dodgers will find a role for their star.
And if you want some more Kersh, Mark Langill at Dodgers Insider collected a gorgeous gallery of photos showcasing Clayton Kershaw’s last home start before the pitcher’s retirement.