As the Los Angeles Dodgers continue their scorching hot run into the World Series, their most valuable asset this postseason —starting pitching — is getting a well-deserved break.
Dodgers starting pitchers combined for a 0.63 ERA across 28.2 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. That earned them some time off ahead of the World Series after getting a four-game sweep.
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When manager Dave Roberts was asked if he is excited for his pitchers to get so much rest going into the Fall Classic — knowing that it can sometimes have the opposite effect on hitters — Roberts noted that it was a positive, overall.
“Yeah, I do think that’s the case,” Roberts said. “But I will say we’ve got this Trajekt machine in the cage that guys take a lot of at-bats off of to get familiar with different pitchers and get their timing. It’s not live, but it’s a pretty good simulation on top of the simulated games we’re playing with each other. But having the pitchers kind of fresh and frisky going into this World Series is a good thing.”
The machine in question is able to play a video of the requested pitcher’s windup, and not only toss an accurate pitch that they would throw, but does so with an accurate arm angle. As for the human pitchers on the Dodgers, more rest has equalled more production (for the most part) during the postseason.
Blake Snell’s first two starts, Game 1 of the Wild Card round and Game 2 of the NLDS, have consisted of 13 innings, 18 strikeouts, five walks, and two earned runs. Both of them were on five days of rest.
His 10-strikeout performance during Game 1 of the NLCS that allowed just one hit across eight innings was on six days’ rest.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has a 1.83 ERA across his three postseason starts, striking out 18 while allowing four earned runs and walking four. His worst start (going four innings and allowing three runs during Game 3 of the NLDS) was off six days’ rest, but his other two starts, one of which a 111-pitch complete game gem, had five days of rest.
Tyler Glasnow made one start on four days’ rest and another on six days and struck out eight batters on both occasions. His first appearance of the postseason was out of the bullpen, and having not pitched in six days.
Lastly, superstar Shohei Ohtani has worked on a minimum of six days of rest this season ever since he first hit the two-innings mark at the end of June. His two postseason outings from the mound have been on 10 and 12 days’ rest, respectively.
Ohtani’s first outing as a pitcher featured three earned runs on three hits, nine strikeouts, and just one walk across his six innings in NLDS Game 1. His most recent outing was his Herculean performance to clinch the NLCS. In addition to Ohtani’s 6+ scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts, he went 3-for-3 at the plate with three home runs.
Dodgers pitchers are clearly thriving on the added rest, and since they finished off the Brewers in just four games, the rotation will look to benefit from the added days off.
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Photo Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
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5 Responses
Well rested? I just hope the layoff isn’t so long they need spring training again!
I think it will be beneficial for the pitchers to be well-rested, but it might negatively effect the hitters a bit. Hoppefully they have stayed prepared using the Trajekt Machine that the article mentioned.
A week is definitely a lot of time off, hopefully they can get going early!
The Dodgers revealed they are doing something similar to how they spent their layoff last year. I think they should be just fine and ready to face the Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays pitching didn’t impress me compared to the Dodgers. The only problem might be the strike zone difference between the National and American league. The American league strike zone I believe is a little tighter. Go Dodgers.