Shohei Ohtani earned the win in Game 1 with Tyler Glasnow getting a hold and Rōki Sasaki closed it out.
Teoscar Hernandez’s three-run homer in the seventh put the Dodgers ahead.
Ohtani went 0-for-4 at the plate but struck out nine in six innings on the mound.
PHILADELPHIA — It happens all the time in Hollywood.
Movie scripts are written and then stolen by producers.
Original ideas are created and then copied.
Well, here are the Los Angeles Dodgers are showing just how it’s done in the baseball business.
They not only are copying this postseason formula, but stealing it as their own, knowing that it may be their only path to get to their ultimate destination.
The Dodgers, whose bullpen has cratered in the last month, came up with a way this postseason to magically cure their blemishes, putting their blueprint on display Saturday in a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies with an audience of 45,777 at Citizens Bank Park.
The Dodgers’ game plan is to have their starters go as long as they possibly can, with Shohei Ohtani doing the honors this night, but instead of using their traditional relievers to close out the game, are turning to the rest of their starting rotation to fulfill the duties.
It worked like an Oscar winner in Game 1 with the Dodgers coming back to take the lead on Teoscar Hernandez’s three-run homer in the seventh, and then holding it for the final three innings – thanks to the starters who suddenly are relievers.
It was Tyler Glasnow, who had not pitched in relief since 2018, coming in for 1 ⅔ innings. Reliever Alex Vesia came in to get one out and escape a jam. And then it was Rōki Sasaki, who had never pitched out of the bullpen in his life until September, closing it out.
The Dodgers may have a plan that puts them in the drivers’ seat on the road to their second consecutive World Series title.
It certainly worked like a charm for the Washington Nationals en route to winning the 2019 World Series championship, with their rotation covering 75% of the innings.
Giants ace Madison Bumgarner became a folk hero in San Francisco when he came out of the bullpen in Game 7 against the Kansas City Royals, pitching five shutout innings, and leading them to the 2014 World Series championship.
Starter Chris Sale was the one closed out the clinching game in the 2018 World Series for the Boston Red Sox while Craig Kimbrel watched.
And who can forget Cy Young winner Randy Johnson winning Game 6 for the Arizona Diamondbacks against the New York Yankees in 2001, and on no days’ rest, getting the final four outs and being the winning pitcher in Game 7?
Start one night, come out of the bullpen the next – and then enjoy the ride on the parade float.
Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ two-way MVP making his first career postseason start as a pitcher, played his role by pitching six dominant innings. He gave up three hits and three runs, while retiring 15 of the last 17 batters he faced. His only blemish was a two-run triple by catcher J.T. Realmuto.
“I was a little nervous imagining myself out there on the mound,’ Ohtani said. “But once I was on the mound and on the field, that went away and it was really me focusing.’
He even hit like a pitcher striking out four consecutive times for only the second time in his career. He’ll be back doing his regular DH duties until Game 5, if the game is necessary.
“The reason why I’m a two-way player is because that’s who I am,’’ Ohtani said, “and it’s what I can do. And also at the same time it’s what the team wants.’’
Oh, yeah, do they ever.
“It’s certainly never been done, certainly at this level,’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I use the word compartmentalize a lot, but this epitomizes compartmentalizing. He’s essentially two people in one night, in one game. …
“To go out there and give us six innings, keep us in the ball game, I just don’t know any human that can manage that, those emotions and how do you not take that to the mound? We continue to just witness history.’
Who else can completely shut down the top of the Phillies’ vaunted lineup with Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, who combined to go 1-for-11 with five strikeouts?
Still, it looked like Ohtani would be the losing pitcher, trailing 3-0, until Enrique Hernandez hit a two-run double in the sixth inning, followed by the go-ahead shot by Teoscar Hernandez in the seventh.
Roberts, who knew before Hernandez’s homer that Ohtani had pitched his last inning, turned to Glasnow in the seventh inning. He promptly mowed down the Phillies in the seventh, and got two outs in the eighth before running into trouble.
“It was kind of nice, like an adrenaline boost,’’ Glasnow said. “It was just kind of different. I enjoyed it. ..
“It’s just cool that I haven’t thrown in the bullpen in a long time, and then just to trust me, go out there and throw some big innings, it was awesome.’
Besides, it was nice to see the game from a different vantage point, he says, watching it from the bullpen instead of the bench, soaking in the atmosphere.
“It’s really nice, everybody’s got their thing, there’s a lot of good banter,’ Glasnow said. “It’s a good view. There’s fans yelling at you. It’s fun. It’s easier to lock in.’
Glasnow departed with two outs and the bases loaded in the eighth, left-handed reliever Alex Vesia came in and retired Edmundo Sosa, and then it was Sasaki’s turn in the ninth. There was pressure. The fans were screaming. And Sasaki kept his cool.
He calmly struck out Realmuto, gave up a double to Max Kepler, and promptly induced a weak groundout by Nick Castellanos and a weak pop-up by Byson Stott.
The Dodgers, just like that, have found their postseason closer.
“What he’s been doing since he’s been back has been a godsend to us,’ Dodgers veteran reliever Blake Treinen said. “It’s been amazing somebody that is presumably that confident, and dominant, because we’re seeing what Rōki Sasaki really is as a pitcher.’
Pretty hard to believe considering Sasaki was in the minors and on the injured list for nearly four months until returning Sept. 24. The Dodgers, almost out of desperation decided to see if he could pitch out of the bullpen, and here he is after four appearances, yielding a .143 batting average (2-for-14) with eight strikeouts.
“It’s great seeing what these guys are doing for us,’ Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “It’s not an easy transition being a starter, and having to change your entire routine to come out of the pen. For Glas to do that, and give us solid innings, it’s pretty incredible.
“You know, as an offense we got to do our job, but we’re going to rely on our pitching. We tell them every single day we believe in them, and they know that.’’
And in the Dodgers’ revamped bullpen, well, why not add a few more fellas to the party.
“They’ve been great, their personalities mesh well,’ Treinen said. “It’s been fun. I don’t think it’s weird at all. But at the end of the day, we’re still throwing the ball 60 feet, 6 inches, and our stuff still plays, whether it’s the first inning or the ninth.
“There’s no perfect blueprint in October. It’s stay healthy. Play clean baseball. And have a little bit of fortune on your side.
“That’s what we’re doing. We’re looking to push it, make it as awkward as we can, to end this thing as quick as possible.’
Yep, no matter how many starters it may take.
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