The Los Angeles Dodgers gained 100 video games this season, essentially the most within the Nationwide League. The Arizona Diamondbacks, in the meantime, backed into the playoffs as shamelessly as potential: their 84 wins had been the bottom complete of any group to qualify for the postseason this 12 months, and their four-game shedding streak to finish the common season didn’t precisely instill confidence within the fanbase heading into the event.
The Diamondbacks upset the Milwaukee Brewers within the NL Wild Card Collection to arrange a matchup with the mighty Dodgers. Nobody gave Arizona a lot of an opportunity within the sequence, however the group did the unthinkable anyhow.
The Diamondbacks swept the Dodgers, 3-0, within the best-of-five sequence to advance to the NLCS. Arizona out-scored LA 19-6 total within the sequence, and in actuality it didn’t even really feel that shut.
There can and shall be 1000’s of phrases spilled in regards to the Dodgers’ postseason failure, however this put up by minority co-owner and NBA legend Magic Johnson does an ideal job of summing every little thing up.
We’re all dissatisfied that our Dodgers didn’t hit or pitch nicely. That’s why we misplaced the Collection to the Diamondbacks!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 12, 2023
Thanks, Magic.
The Dodgers had been simply unbelievably unhealthy on this sequence. Let’s begin with the pitching: Dodgers’ starters someway amassed solely 4 2⁄3 innings all through the sweep, and posted a ridiculous 25.07 ERA. Arizona’s starters had a 1.10 ERA in 16 1⁄3 innings.
For the sequence, Dodgers’ hitters completed with a .177 batting common. That’s not a typo. The group’s .498 OPS within the sequence was all-time unhealthy.
Lowest group OPS in a postseason sequence, Dodgers:
.417 1966 World Collection (Four gms)
.425 1996 NLDS (3)
.477 1920 World Collection (7)
.498 2023 NLDS (3)— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) October 12, 2023
Dodgers star Mookie Betts posted a .987 OPS through the common season. Within the sequence vs. Arizona, he went 0-for-11 with one stroll … good for a .083 OPS. You’ll be able to’t make these things up.
The Dodgers are presumed to be the favorites to signal Shohei Ohtani throughout free company this winter. In fact, spending cash has by no means been a difficulty for LA. The Dodgers can hold their hat on successful the World Collection within the Covid-shortened season of 2020. Other than that? Their postseason runs have been a catastrophe. This one is likely to be essentially the most embarrassing but.
