The Los Angeles Dodgers narrowly escaped a dangerous ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies to take a 2-0 series lead in the National League Division Series.
Read more: Dodgers Escape Phillies in NLDS Game 2, Take Commanding 2-0 Series Lead
The game shouldn’t have been as close as the 4-3 final score would indicate, but as the bullpen has consistently done lately (especially after a starting pitcher throwing a gem), things got more tense than they needed to after the relievers took over.
Blake Snell got things started with six scoreless innings, punching out nine batters along the way. He allowed just one hit and walked four, but after the offense took the game over in the top of the seventh inning — putting up four runs — Emmet Sheehan got the ball in the bottom of the frame.
Sheehan was solid for the seventh inning, but would allow a run in the eighth. Instead of going with Sheehan for a third inning — or even Roki Sasaki, who not only allowed just one hit and no earned runs in his two postseason relief appearances but was seen warming up in the seventh inning — manager Dave Roberts went with Blake Treinen.
Treinen ended his regular season with a 9.64 ERA during his 9.1 innings in September and raised many question marks going into the postseason. The 37-year-old right-hander did pitch 1.1 innings during the Wild Card series, allowing just one hit and no earned runs in that time. However, many believed that Sasaki should have taken the ball once again.
Roberts spoke after the game on getting Treinen in for the ninth instead of the young right-hander.
“I thought about it,” Roberts said of going to 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.”
He added: “Fortunately, [Sasaki] was ready when called upon. I liked him versus Trea [Turner] and he got a big out for us.”
After Treinen’s 12 pitches and two earned runs, Alex Vesia would come in to secure two outs, but it was Sasaki then trotted out of the bullpen to close Game 2 of the NLDS against former Dodger Trea Turner.
More news: Blake Treinen Calls Roki Sasaki a ‘Godsend’ for Dodgers
Photo Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
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50 Responses
PLEASE, NO MORE TREINEN!
Amen to that.
Yes NO Treinen in 2025..Period..!
Dave Roberts is over thinking and it could cause a major disaster for the Dodgers if he does not stop this.
Clear out his locker and send him home !!!
If Dave puts him in a game again, clear out his locker too !!!
No other manager would have used Treinen in that situation. Roberts is full of bad management.
honestly, if the dodgers had gone on to lose that game and the series to the Phillies, that’s a fireable offense, I don’t care if Roberts has a lifetime contract.
I don’t think many would be surprised if he got fired if they lost tonight. I feel like Roki should have been the guy in the ninth no hesitation
He has never had a feeling for the game, except in 2020 when he let Urias finish those games, good thing he has always had hall of fame players to bail out his decision making.
but then you have players saying things like this: https://dodgersnation.com/dodgers-mookie-betts-calls-dave-roberts-arguably-best-manager-hes-ever-had/2025/10/07/
Dave Roberts is a players’ manager. He trusts in his guys come hell or high water and I am sure his players love playing for him as a result. But this time of year, the team is going to sink or swim with his bullpen decisions. Sorry that feelings must be hurt, but Treinen and Scott need to be kept away from high leverage situations for the remainder of this year. Let them hit the rest button in the offseason. As for Sasaki “not having gone 2 of 3” – that is some weak excuse. They had a day off yesterday. 3-run lead and the guy throws 100mph smoke…put him in, and IF he struggles, then go to Vesia or someone else. But until he shows otherwise, you have to go with him.
*rest button = reset button
Agree.
Flawlessly logical. Roberts just isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer.
Last year it was Roberts jockeying the bullpen that won the series and I respect his strategic moves and his loyalty to his players but enough is enough. Too many games have been blown by Treinen and Scott. They need to do some bench warming for the rest of the month.
Agree
Treinen and Scott can pitch in mop-up situations.
They (Scott and Treinan) should be OFF the roster for the playoffs. Scott hasn’t thrown worth a damn since June already! And Treinan has been an abject failure since September. It’s not a sentimental game: If you can’t help, you’re gone.
I have nothing but respect for Treinen’s invaluable contribution to the Dodgers bullpen last year. With that being said, bringing Blake to the mound tonight in the 9th made absolutely no sense, a 4:1 lead was definitely not big enough, as we watched him quickly unravel. I am relieved that the Dodgers managed to hold on and win.
I agree that last postseason he was remarkable, but an ERA over 9 this past September should have been a warning for October. SO RELIEVED that we got that win
In baseball, it’s “What have you done lately?”
Treinen has no swing and miss stuff and he has no confidence right now. Stubborn Roberts doesn’t want to address Roki as the closer because he’s young and inexperienced.
Well if he’s not the closer now who is? Tanner? Treinen?
Roki Saved Roberts from more heat that he deserves. Roberts almost cost the Organization a win and turning all the momentum to Philly with one stupid move.
Your closer is Roki, just declare it so he can own it instead of wondering if he’s pitching.
Roberts is our weakest link going forward now that Conforto is gone.
Please no more Treinen that dude needs to go he just gas lights the mound in a bad way he has ZERO confidence ZERO control. I don’t understand why Doc keeps bringing him out there .
He may have just played his way off the NLCS roster tonight.
Dave, this is NOT the REGULAR season. You do not risk a hard earned lead by favoring a friend who has failed repeatedly this season. You are hired to manage playoff games to WIN, not to be a GOOD guy.
You hit it perfectly. Robert’s managed tonight like this was a random game in May. Not the 2nd game of the NLDS. You manage to put your foot on the throat of the Phillies. We were lucky tonight. If a save is needed in the 9th on Wednesday, the only number you call for is 11. You saw what Ohtani’s curve did to the top 3 of the Phillies lineup. Sasaki has better stuff. Then worry about his rest after.
Roberts…. finally pulled all the right levers last playoff. Felt confident in him this playoff, up until that 9th inning move. It’s not rocket science, Roki is your guy right now, if you’re gonna win or lose a game, do it with your best guy on the mound. Roki has the killer instinct right now, he is your closer. Treinen has been pitching like garbage the last month, you don’t put the guy in that’s been pitching like garbage into a 4-1 save situation against the second best team in baseball…. Still scratching my head….
Last year it was Roberts jockeying the bullpen that won the series and I respect his strategic moves and his loyalty to his players but enough is enough. Too many games have been blown by Treinen and Scott. They need to do some bench warming for the rest of the month.
I think Roberts should get over the idea he knows better than everybody else. He has been given one of the best teams. Don’t lose it for everyone.
Trienen’s contributions as a Dodger will never be forgotten but now is not the time to gamble. If they had lost this game, the momentum would have easily shifted. For the life of me, what type of strategy was that? Made no sense to me at all.
As others have said, Blake was lights out last year. I will forever be thankful that he helped us win a world series in 2024. But Blake is not the same pitcher this year. He had no business pitching in the 9th inning. LA is not going to get to, let alone win a world series with Blake Treinen and Tanner Scott. If we had lost last night’s game, this series would have been much more difficult. Please Robert’s, don’t blow a 5 game series by making dumb bullpen decisions.
When Treinen shaved the beard….and in the next game showed a little OleBlake!….I said Groovy….the Kryptonite is gone!!
Not to be.
Rest him and Scott
Plus Un-Conforto
RocketRoki!….There ya go!
Easy Peasy
You’re welcome!???
To me Dave Roberts is a horrible manager when it comes to playoffs. We were very lucky to win from this horrible mistake. As soon as I saw Treinen warming up I started to scream “No Way”. Treinen came in and gave up three hits. Why did Roberts put him in with his known record? Same goes for Scott. He had Roki or Kershaw to put in. I personally think Roberts should be fired. The Dodgers should of had a bye. Roberts played Conforto all season even when he was batting .161. Roberts and Friedman never gave Ryan Ward a look. He won the MVP in the Pacific Coast league. He should had been given an opportunity to replace Conforto. We lost many games during the season due to Conforto’s many strike outs. We would have had a bye if Conforto was not playing.
Dave Roberts has got to go. I would have fired him back in 2020. He makes the dumbest decisions. This game should have never been this close. I don’t like the style that he uses.
Dodgers Management. Get rid of him now!
This just shows the disconnect from reality for Roberts: “Blake’s pitched some of the biggest outs, innings in the postseason for us. And felt really confident right there.” Yes, in prior years, Dave. But NOT in 2025. Please stop the Treinen and Scott experiment for the rest of the playoffs. That should have stopped on September 28th. Enough.
Freddie saved the day and Edman’s buns!!!
Truly an unbelievable play by Freddie
Vsesio can’t throw a low strike and Treinan is really not able to hit the corners
Roberts can’t trust both Scott and Treinen in this postseason anymore. They had their chances to prove themselves but too many times they have blown it. They are not the same pitchers as last year as their stuff have regressed to the point where the hitters have no respect to their offerings. Treinen has no command, thus his confidence in his 2-seamer and sweeper don’t have the sharp break he had last year. Scott is similar in he looks scared because his fastball has no zip and movement, so he depends on his slider which he also has no command of. They both have missed the target countless times resulting in terrible outcomes.
I definitely agree re: Treinen and just don’t think he’s fully healthy. As for Scott I expect him to get an opportunity to pitch this postseason sooner rather than later, but best case-scenario would be in a lower leverage spot (which is hard to come by in October).
Not only have Treinen and Scott seen their best days behind them but, Vesia has to be mentioned in the conversation. All 3 of these guys are very sketchy in a close game of 4 or less runs. This is the playoffs in case Roberts has forgotten. Game 2 against the Phillies should never have been so nerve racking. Put in the best and put them to rest when you have a Sasaki.
My Gawd, what a near disaster. I suppose he could have done worse and put Scott in there, who I was shocked to see is on the current roster. But at that point they had Sheehan, who as a starter typically has more than 2 innings in the tank, Glasnow who now seems to be in the pen, Kershaw, Vesia who did put the fire out, Sasaki who got the final out, Banda and Dreyer. I think any of them would be a better choice than Treinen or Scott.
Only thing I can guess is too much analytics going back too far and not seeing what’s happening today. But that’s what a human manager is for. I’d say they won this one in spite of Roberts.
Treinen looked good in the Wild Card and Dave Roberts figured if he couldn’t trust him to protect a 3-run lead, he probably shouldn’t be on the roster. This was a chance for Treinen to redeem himself and he proved he can’t be trusted moving forward
Fair Noah, but two huge differences: One is the Philly lineup is NOT the Reds’ lineup. And two, low leverage vs Reds vs. save situation/high leverage vs. Philly. You don’t give a player a chance to redeem himself when he has failed miserably in high leverage situations for much of the entire season, and even worse for the last month. You might consider that in the regular season – might – but not in October.
Probably the dumbest pitching change in the history of the Los Angeles Dodgers playoff baseball. It’s been obvious that Treinan has had NOTHING since at least September. He had no pop and no movement on his pitches and was hit hard—a wonder we didn’t see 3 home runs. We barely escaped with a win in a game that should not have been close. You can’t give away games in the play-offs. Ever!
I’d change “probably the dumbest” to “another in a long list of dumb” moves by Roberts. Can think of several worse just off the top of my head: 2017 World Series game 7, starting Darvish and allowing 5 ERs in 2 innings when Kershaw was ready and came in anyway; 2018 WS game 4 pulling Hill after giving up only his second hit; 2019 NLDS game 5 letting Kelly load the bases with 2 walks and a base hit, followed by Kendrick’s grand slam; 2023 NLDS games 1 (starting Kershaw who gave up 6 runs and only got one out in the first inning for a snappy 162.0 ERA , 2 (starting a rookie, Bobby Miller in a high pressure must win game), and 3 (leaving Lance Lynn in for not one, not, two, not three, but an MLB playoff record four homeruns in one inning). While he did a fabulous job juggling the rotation of 3 healthy starters and bullpen games last year on their way to winning the World Series, his resume is chock full of very poor pitching decisions. As a fan, it’s beyond painful.
So, dumb? Absolutely. The dumbest? Probably not because they still somehow held on to win the game. They lost every game for every example I provided above. He needs to end the 2025 Treinen and Scott experiment now.
Roberts was saying maybe true about Sasaki. But why use Treinen? There are many relievers he could of used. Besides I think Sasaki coming in at the beginning of the inning would of been fine. You’ve seen Trienen’s record in the regular season, it’s horrendous. Please stop putting him in games. Your decisions are crucial and we almost lost with your dumb thinking.
Right? Like I understand wanting to show the Phillies as little as Sasaki as you can, but at the same time you have to trust he will perform like he has constantly been proving out the pen. If anything Vesia should have started the inning
Roberts is an IDIOT. You’ve seen Trienen’s regular season record…he SUCKS. Why put him in.
#1 there are more relievers he could of choose.
#2 even Sasaki hasn’t pitched 2 out of 3, I still would put him in instead of Trienen’s ERA of 9.69.
Dumb move Roberts, you almost cost us the game and a beautiful job Snell pitched earlier.