The Los Angeles Dodgers began a season-long 10 game road trip on Friday that consists of series with the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The stretch doesn’t include any off days and is part of the Dodgers playing 31 games in 30 days because of a doubleheader at Dodger Stadium early in the week. L.A. closed out their homestand in strong fashion by sweeping the Diamondbacks, which came after a subpar showing against the Phillies.
Friday offered the Dodgers a shot at revenge, but not before their team bus endured a mishap while en route to Citizens Bank Park.
According to Dani Wexelman of MLB Network Radio, the Dodgers had a flat tire and it prompted manager Dave Roberts to ask who was capable of replacing it, to which Craig Kimbrel said he could:
Dodger's manager Dave Roberts just told me on @MLBNetworkRadio that the Dodgers team bus got a flat tire on the way to Citizens Bank Park, he asked the guys who could fix a tire and @Kimbrel46 raised his hand!
— Dani Wexelman (@DaniWex) May 20, 2022
Kimbrel presumably was not tasked with changing the tire, and he nearly went without appearing in Friday’s 4-1 win against the Phillies.
Kimbrel began to warm up in the top of the ninth inning but sat down when Trea Turner drove in an insurance run on his sacrifice fly. Phil Bickford enter in the bottom of the ninth but couldn’t quite shut the door as he allowed back-to-back doubles with one out.
That made it a save situation and prompted Roberts to call on Kimbrel for the final out.
Kimbrel on all-time saves list
Although Kenley Jansen is the Dodgers franchise leader in saves, Kimbrel ranks ahead of him on the all-time list. Kimbrel now has 380 career saves, which is most among active players and good for eighth place in MLB history.
Dennis Eckersley is ahead of Kimbrel with 390 saves.
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