LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani had one hit in 18 at-bats with nine strikeouts. Andy Pages was one for 15. The Dodgers as a team hit .199/.280/.277 as a team. But they beat the 96-win Phillies in four games anyway, because there are many different ways to win a baseball game.
Like on the first walk-off error to clinch a postseason series in MLB history, for instance.
The Dodgers only scored in seven of the 38 innings during the NLDS, but the Phillies only scored in six innings.
Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler
Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki pitched 28 of the Dodgers’ 38 innings (73.7 percent), and put up a 1.93 ERA with a 30.3-percent strikeout rate. An extra scheduled off day made it easier to consolidate pitching usage, and adding in Emmet Sheehan and Clayton Kershaw, starting pitchers accounted for 33 of 38 innings during the series, in various roles.
Glasnow got five outs in relief in Game 1 before his brilliant Game 4 start, Sheehan has been used in relief all postseason, and Kershaw got the 2024 Landon Knack role by soaking up two innings while the Dodgers trailed in Game 3. But the breakout star of the series was Sasaki, who has thrived in a new role.
Sasaki, a starter his whole life, has only been pitching in relief for three weeks, but he has yet to allow a run including 5 1/3 innings in the postseason, retiring 16 of his 17 batters faced. He also hasn’t walked anyone in relief since getting activated off the injured list on September 24.
“I felt like my fastball velo was back to where it used to be, and the command of the fastball was where I wanted it to be as well. So I think that really helps with the off-speed,” Sasaki said Thursday, through interpreter Will Ireton. ”Because of that, I do really feel confident to be able to attack in zone.“
Sasaki entered a tied Game 4 in the eighth inning and pitched three perfect innings, getting the Dodgers through the 10th inning.
“You’re talking about one of the great all-time performances out of the ‘pen, that I can remember,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Of all the Dodgers postseason relief appearances longer than two innings, Sasaki’s Game 4 ranks third by win probability added:
- Mike Garman, 1977 World Series Game 1 (.413 WPA): 3 scoreless innings from the ninth through 11th inning at Yankee Stadium
- Jay Howell, 1988 World Series Game 4 (.402 WPA): final 7 outs to close out the “Kill Costas” game in Oakland
- Roki Sasaki, 2025 NLDS Game 4 (.384 WPA): 3 scoreless innings from eighth through 10th innings
The Phillies starting pitchers were excellent as well, which contributed to that anemic Dodgers batting line. Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Ranger Suárez, and Aaron Nola combined for a 2.03 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings, in a variety of roles.
Sánchez was particularly stingy, allowing only three runs in 12 innings. Outfielder Alex Call only played in two of the four games in the NLDS, both starts against Sánchez, and he reached base all five trips to the plate against the left-hander with two singles, two walks, and a hit by pitch.
The Dodgers acquired Call at the trade deadline as another right-handed option against left-handed pitching, against whom he hit .286/.328/.448 with a 113 wRC+ this season, with a career 108 wRC+ against southpaws. This postseason, Call has reached base all six times he’s batted, including a single against Reds lefty Brent Suter in the seventh inning of Game 1 of the wild card series.
“Alex, he’s a winner. He’s sort of on the periphery, but the guys love him. He’s a baseball player. He’s prepared. Whatever situation I ask of him he’s ready,” Roberts said of Call. “So just learning him at the deadline, he’s a great teammate and very prepared. And him getting hit-by-pitch, the hit, he’s always doing something to help you win baseball games.”
