The Los Angeles Dodgers followed a record setting performance with another dud as Atlanta Braves rookie Bryse Wilson held them to just one run and one hit in his six impressive innings of work. The 10-2 loss dropped the Dodgers to the brink of being eliminated.
Now with their backs up against the wall in the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers are turning to Dustin May for his second start and fourth overall game of the postseason. It should be different than his start in the NL Division Series, when May threw just one inning as an opener.
“We’ll see the length and how he’s throwing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said when asked about May’s ability to go deep in Game 5. “He’s rearing to go. He knew about it [Wednesday], we had him in the dugout tonight just watching. I know he’s going to be fired up.”
While May finds himself in a pressure-packed situation, there wasn’t any hesitation on the Dodgers’ part. “No, not at all,” Roberts said.
“Those guys have thrown some young arms at us in big games. Dustin will be ready to go.”
If nothing else, May was essentially the Dodgers’ only choice as they need three wins to advance to the World Series. But May’s performance has backed up Roberts’ confidence, as he’s collected six strikeouts and allowed just one hit in 4.2 innings this postseason.
Confidence in struggling Dodgers bullpen
Roberts and several players remarked how this year’s bullpen was the best the team has had in recent memory, and their success in the regular season lived up to that billing. It’s been much more of a mixed bag in the playoffs, particularly during the NLCS.
“It’s a deep bullpen, it’s a talented bullpen. We’ve shown it. I think you have to give credit at times to hitters,” Roberts said.
“We get two strikes, they fight, they put the ball in play. If you do that, you might find some hits out there. When we do get ahead, we’re not finishing them with the strikeout. We’ve just got to try to continue to make pitches.
“They’ve still got to beat us another time. I still believe in every single guy in that clubhouse.”
Now it will be up to May and available Dodgers relief pitchers to keep their season alive Friday night.
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