September 28th, 2016 at 9:11 am 
by Ron Cervenka In a move that was both unprecedented and unexpected, first-year Dodgers manager Dave Roberts let the cat out of the bag on Tuesday afternoon when he shared several of his playoff roster plans during his daily pre-game media scrum.
Even though the first round of the playoffs will not begin until Friday, October 7 – either at Dodger Stadium or Nationals Park in Washington DC – Roberts told reporters that, as expected, left-hander Clayton Kershaw would start Game-1 of the National League Division Series, followed by left-hander Rich Hill for Game-2 and right-hander Kenta Maeda for Game-3. The unexpected revelation was when Roberts told the gathered media that 20-year-old rookie left-hander Julio Urias was “still on the table” as his possible Game-4 starter.
While it was a surprise to no one that Clayton Kershaw will start Game-1 of the NLDS, Roberts’ revelation that rookie left-hander Julio Urias is “still on the table” as a possible Game-4 starter was. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
Roberts also revealed that oft-controversial outfielder Yasiel Puig would also be included on his team’s first-round playoff roster.
Although Puig is only 10 for 41 (.244) since returning from his demotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City, he has hit four home runs and driven in 10. He has also proven himself a much better teammate and, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, has “earned” a spot on the postseason roster.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
Although the Dodgers skipper wouldn’t go much further with his tentative postseason roster plans, he made it abundantly clear that Tuesday night’s game against the NL West fourth-place San Diego Padres was somewhat of an audition for possible postseason roster consideration for several of his players and relievers.
“As you saw tonight, we normally wouldn’t have taken [Andrew] Toles out as early as we did, but l wanted to get Andre [Ethier] at-bats and it’s nice to see him get a walk and be competitive,” Roberts said.
On the other side of the coin, right-handed reliever Louis Coleman pretty much took himself off of the postseason roster. After left-hander Grant Dayton struck out Padres pinch-hitter Manuel Margot and center fielder Travis Jankowski to leadoff the bottom of the eighth with the Padres clinging to a 3-1 lead, he allowed a bunt single to left fielder Jon Jay. Roberts opted to bring in Coleman, who promptly walked outfielder Wil Myers and pinch-hitter Yangervis Solarte. He then gave up a back-breaking grand slam home run to Hunter Renfroe, who had already slugged a three-run shot off Kenta Maeda in the first inning, thus accounting for all seven of the Padres runs.
“We’ve seen Coleman in spots be very good, at other times, not so good,” Roberts told reporters after the game. “In that situation, as we see what we have with guys going forward, I wanted to see him get out a middle-of-the-order bat, but he walks Myers and Solarte and gets to the number five hitter and he gives up a home run. It comes down to Louis has got to make pitches.”
Clearly, he did not.
With more than a week to go before the playoffs begin it is understandable that Roberts and his staff want to give guys on the bubble a shot at making the postseason roster. However, the Dodgers are – or at least were – within reach of grabbing home field advantage for the NLDS over the Washington Nationals. By treating the final six games of the regular season (now five) as an audition instead of trying to win by putting his best nine players on the field in an attempt to secure home field advantage, Roberts is essentially surrendering home field advantage to the Nationals for the Division Series. And while there are some who do not consider home field advantage a big deal, history has repeatedly shown us that it indeed is.
The Dodgers enter play on Wednesday evening trailing the Nationals by two games for the better overall record. Should Roberts change his Little League “everybody plays” approach and instead go with a “step on their throats” approach and the Dodgers somehow manage to tie the Nats after Sunday’s regular season finale against the Giants (who themselves are fighting for a Wild Card berth), the Dodgers would get home field advantage over the Nationals by virtue of having won five of six in head-to-head play this season.
In other words, now is not the time for Roberts to take his foot off the gas – especially after Sunday’s incredible momentum-building win over the Colorado Rockies to clinch the division. As history has repeatedly shown us, it’s not always the best team that wins the World Series, it’s the hottest team.
Don’t screw this one up, Doc.
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The Dodgers are aware they have a losing record on the road, right?
It’s best to secure home-field when it’s available.
I’m sure they do. They’re also aware that, if they don’t get homefield, they’ll start Kershaw, Hill, Kershaw in Washington. Kenta and ? will pitch at home.
Nobody with the Dodgers says they’re not trying to win. They said they’re trying to set up the best roster for the NLDS.
A “nit;” Grant Dayton K’d the first 2 Padres hitters, then allowed the bunt single to Jay. Coleman was responsible for walking next two batters and then giving up the grand slam. Not only will Coleman not make post season roster, I believe Dodgers will non-tender him for 2017.
Fixed. Thanks. And I agree on the non-tender thing.
So, this appears to be a trend for our Dodgers as an organizational tenet; secure the division with several games remaining in the regular season, then laying off the accelerator and coasting to the final day… all in the name of “resting” the core lineup and starters so they can be “fresh” once the playoffs begin. I don’t buy into this thinking in the least.
From my perspective, there appears to be no urgency or concern for securing home-field advantage for the front office. I’m curious who is behind the “postseason tryouts” the Dodgers are conducting in these crucial remaining games? What would Dave Roberts prefer to do? Is this a F&Z tenet, and how do they justify the “time off” for their players? Does the consideration that the Dodgers will have four days off after the regular season even register in their minds?
I truly miss the old days when the league didn’t let teams reset their rosters once the season ended. It was business as usual. Playoffs began one or two days after the final pitch of the regular season. These days, teams no longer suffer the consequences of having used their best arms during a clinching game because they now have several days to reset the rotation between playoff series.
Louis Coleman no doubt will be non-tendered but he helped out the Dodgers when they needed some help. The season seemed to get long for him though. I expect he will find work for the 2017 season.
Would love to have home field advantage but whatever he is doing I have to think he knows what he is doing. A couple of months ago we were thinking being in this position was not possible.
It looks like Roberts isn’t a great believer of home field advantage and that the Dodgers are superior to the Nats, as long as he has the right players on the postseason roster.
Just a few postseason brain spasms:
We all know Kersh’s history of going deep into games. Hill looks to be good for 7+. Both these guys are going into the postseason after only pitching about a month after DL stints, so they’re well rested.
Kenta is a good 5-6 inning pitcher. So have Julio preplanned to pick up for him. If Julio finishes, good. We still have the rest of the BP, including Kenley.
Don’t get overconfident about the Dodgers 5-1 record against the Nats. In 1988 the Dodgers were 1-11 against the Mets and beat them in 7. We all know what they did to the “unbeatable” A’s that year.
Postseason history is full of dominant teams failing. Just a few: the above mentioned A’s, the Braves “dynasty” several times, and (for Giant fans) the ’54 Indians. The Cubbies have a long, long history of finding ways to blow it, then blaming curses.
I do have a real good feeling about the Dodgers chances this year.
And who could forget the 2001 Seattle Mariners who won 116 games that year only to lose the American League Championship to the New York Yankees?
I reckon I could. Thanks for the reminder.