Next year’s Dodgers, whomever they are, need to fix a familiar problem

They did not suffer due to the fact that of pitching gymnastics, arsenic annoying arsenic they were. The Dodgers won their “bullpen game” successful the National League Championship Series, and successful Game 5 of the Division Series arsenic well.

They did not suffer due to the fact that Max Muncy wasn’t there. Their on-base percent successful the NLCS was .330, aforesaid arsenic the regular season, and if you’re going to reverse clip and heal the sick, past you person to reconstruct Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. and Mike Soroka, too.

They did not suffer due to the fact that of Dave Roberts’ determination to fto Walker Buehler transportation to Eddie Rosario with 2 connected and 2 retired successful the 4th inning of Game 6 Saturday. The enactment was lefty Alex Vesia, who was warming, successful lawsuit Rosario got connected and Freddie Freeman came up.

Rosario’s three-run homer disconnected Buehler yet bushed the Dodgers, 4-2, successful Game 6. But Vesia had his accidental successful the sixth and walked Rosario, Freeman and Ozzie Albies with 2 out, forcing Roberts to pain Blake Treinen for 1 retired (Austin Riley).

And they astir apt did not suffer due to the fact that of fatigue, built done a wild-card crippled with St. Louis and past 5 games with the Giants. Was winning the part and getting the bye worthy the exertion? It seemed that way, but the Division Series was mentally cliffhanging for some sides, connected a pitch-by-pitch basis.

The Dodgers didn’t suffer due to the fact that of immoderate of that. They mislaid due to the fact that they near their baserunners hanging, yet again.

They deed .244 with men successful scoring presumption and Atlanta deed .343. For the full postseason they deed .232, conscionable arsenic they deed .135 successful 2019, .192 successful 2018 and .226 successful 2017.

When the Dodgers won their hors d’oeuvre title successful 2020, they deed .291 successful those situations. Of course, they were successful premier 60-game signifier then.

The Braves surely didn’t dainty the Dodgers’ hitters with 106-win respect. They walked lone 2 connected Saturday: Trea Turner, for his lone locomotion of the playoffs, and Cody Bellinger, and that came from reliever Luke Jackson, who was rapidly removed by manager Brian Snitker.

Tyler Matzek came successful to onslaught retired the broadside successful that seventh inning, with Dodgers connected 2nd and third, and zapped Mookie Betts successful 3 pitches with 2 out.

The Dodgers became the eighth N.L. squad to triumph 100 oregon much and miss the World Series since 2002.

What now?

Their free-agent decisions are stark.

It seems ludicrous to fto 27-year-old Corey Seager motion determination other if you person Guggenheim wealth and unfinished business. Their chances of signing Turner are questionable aft his woody expires aft 2022.

Turner is besides a shortstop but moved to 2nd erstwhile the Dodgers got him. Then helium seemingly drew the enactment astatine center-field, wherever helium has played before. Instead, mediate infielder Gavin Lux had to larn center-field nether the gun.

This is not the tone of sacrifice connected which the Dodgers are built. Chris Taylor has worn everything but a catcher’s mitt without complaint. He, too, is simply a escaped cause and would look irreplaceable, particularly since Kiké  Hernandez took his defiant tone and his leather postulation to Boston, wherever helium is beloved.

Max Scherzer is 37, but if the Dodgers don’t motion him they’re down to Buehler, Urias, a recuperating Clayton Kershaw (also a escaped agent) and Dustin May, imaginable Ryan Pepiot and questions.

Kenley Jansen heads to the marketplace with lively stuff and a hard attitude. Treinen, Corey Knebel and Brusdar Graterol mightiness beryllium capable to regenerate him. But it’s the bullpen, the shot equivalent of herding Cub Scouts.

Maybe with a streamlined roster and less options, the Dodgers won’t beryllium tempted to revolutionize shot each fall. Buehler pitched 18 ⅔ innings, Urias 15 and Scherzer 16 2/3, having worked 4 times successful 12 days. This is known arsenic playing against your strength.

Similarly, Tampa Bay had the astir wins successful the American League and was bounced by Boston erstwhile its starters posted a 8.04 ERA successful the Division Series.

The Yankees won 4 World Series successful 5 seasons. Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte ever started. Jeff Nelson ne'er came successful earlier the seventh inning. Mariano Rivera ever came successful by the eighth oregon ninth and, unless the crippled ran excessively long, ever finished. Urias, of course, seemed to defy those patterns successful the 2020 playoffs, but that was 60-game privilege.

Maybe the Orioles of the 70s are the past franchise to play truthful brilliantly with truthful small reward. But the Dodgers who stay tin inactive win. It would assistance if they walk the wintertime dreaming not of location tally yardage, but homecomings of 90 feet.