LOS ANGELES, CA — Even with a 3-2 lead in Game 6 of the 2024 National League Championship Series, it was more of a must-win for the Dodgers than the Mets. LA was forced to go with a bullpen game because their starting rotation was down to one arm in Walker Buehler for a possible win-or-go-home Game 7. The only other likely starter, the $325 million Yoshinobu Yamamoto, was not available as he only pitches once a week.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has pitched to a 5.11 ERA this postseason across three outings (12.1 innings) with 11 strikeouts – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
I believe this tradition goes back to the Samurai of the Meiji Restoration in the mid-1800s. You can’t mess with tradition. Dave Roberts and the front office people who dictate so many of the manager’s decisions then put it into the hands of Roberts.
What we saw was a masterpiece of manipulation by Roberts. He began with the unusual pick for his opener in Michael Kopech, who has been a lights-out late-inning stopper. Kopech was all over the place in that first inning and was lucky to get out of the inning, giving up only one run to the “Never Quit” Mets. Then Roberts began to paint his masterpiece — bobbing and weaving through nine innings using seven pitchers, with only one, Blake Treinen, pitching two innings.
Blake Treinen, K'ing the Side with Video Game Sweepers. š³š¹ļø pic.twitter.com/72UVu9nmjo
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 21, 2024
They would be the last two innings where he struck out the first four batters he faced. Three of the six pitchers used went one inning, and three went 1.1 innings. Three relievers gave up one hit, four gave up two hits, and five gave up one run each.
Yes, each had to execute, and with the Mets leaving 13 men on base, there was plenty of drama. But Roberts, learning from past postseasons where LA’s pitching made for the major difference in getting eliminated, was the puppeteer of pulling the strings with this group of nonstarters. He pulled guys when he needed to and brought in the right arm for each different situation. It was by far the best-managed game of the postseason.
The Dodgers lift the National League Championship trophy for the first time since 2020 š pic.twitter.com/8C61Vy2BI3
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 21, 2024
Tommy Edman won the NLCS MVP and was a force in Game 6 at the plate, but the hero of this NL pennant clincher was Dave Roberts, “Renaissance Man” and master painter of a classic “Masterpiece.”
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