2022 MLB Playoffs: Dodgers’ unheralded relief crew delivers in Game 1 win

By Pedro MouraFOX Sports MLB Writer

LOS ANGELES — Much of the Dodgers’ 2022 roster qualifies as a veritable superteam, as much as it has ever been during this historic decade of success. But their postseason opener Tuesday at Dodger Stadium underscored just how much these superstars’ fates will rest on the efforts of an unheralded, uncertain crew of relievers.

Behind a patient offense and an aggressive start from ace Julio Urías, the Dodgers raced to an early lead against the Padres. But when San Diego began to hit Urías hard, the Dodgers turned to a new quartet to tackle four innings with only one run’s worth of margin for error. Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, Brusdar Graterol and Chris Martin, in that order, linked to secure the Dodgers’ 5-3 victory in Game 1 of this National League Division Series.

That foursome is not exactly the established back end the 2015 Kansas City Royals rode to a World Series win. They’re not even the established back end of the 2022 Dodgers’ bullpen. Until Tuesday, the four relievers had appeared in exactly one game together — and in almost the reverse order. Together, they earned about $4.7 million this season, not one-tenth of what Craig Kimbrel and David Price together received. Neither Kimbrel nor Price made the Dodgers’ NLDS roster.

This, though, was what the Dodgers wanted Tuesday. No one else warmed in their bullpen. Before the series is over, though, as the Padres adjust to these relievers, L.A. might send out a wholly new batch to preserve another lead.

“I loved it, but we certainly could see something completely different tomorrow,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said afterward. “I don’t want to show my hand too much, but it just kind of is the luxury of the latitude that we have with our guys.”

MLB Playoffs: Dodgers vs. Padres NLDS Game 1 recap

Ben Verlander and Alex Curry react to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Game 1 win over the San Diego Padres in the NLDS.

You’ll hear this week that the Dodgers’ relievers don’t have roles, that they’re summoned into games with no advance notice. That’s not exactly right. They do have roles, just not of the traditional variety. Before games or early in them, pitching coaches inform relievers what stretch of the opposing lineup they’re likely to face and in which situation: winning or losing. On occasion, they’ll mention multiple possible scenarios. If that’s the case, bullpen coach Josh Bard will alert a reliever each time one of those scenarios arises.

“What we have to do to physically prepare ourselves maybe varies on a daily basis,” Phillips said. “But they do a good job of getting us prepared for each situation that we could be called upon for.”

Phillips knew before Tuesday’s first pitch that he’d be tasked with retiring the Padres’ middle of the order, especially Manny Machado, if the Dodgers were winning. The Padres expected that, too. It so happened that the situation arose to begin the sixth, after Roberts decided against leaving Urías in to face the left-handed Juan Soto. 

Lacking command of his breaking ball, Phillips found trouble. He also found an escape in the form of a slick, inning-ending double-play turned by Gavin Lux and Trea Turner. 

Vesia followed and struck out the side in the seventh around one Trent Grisham single. Roberts returned to Vesia for two more batters in the eighth, then Graterol to face Machado. That inning didn’t take long. Neither did Martin’s 11-pitch ninth, good for his 10th career major-league save.

Graterol, the only one of the four to ever earn any sort of prospect status, signed for a paltry $150,000 out of Venezuela eight years ago. The other three men were drafted a combined four times, never higher than in the 17th round. Fourteen months ago, every major-league team opted not to claim Phillips on waivers. Twenty months ago, the lowly Marlins gave up on Vesia. Martin, a 36-year-old veteran of Nippon Professional Baseball, is self-admittedly “boring.”

They are all lacking lengthy track records, but they all offer sufficient stuff. Phillips’ results were elite all year. As long as he limits his walks, Vesia can excel. Martin dominated after his trade-deadline acquisition. Across the sport, few relievers limit homers better than Graterol.

“They did a really good job leaning in to their strengths,” catcher Will Smith said of their Game 1 efforts.

Trea Turner reflects on the Dodgers’ Game 1 win

Trea Turner talks about the Dodgers’ NLDS Game 1 win over the Padres in a postgame interview with Tom Verducci.

More than ever, the 2022 Dodgers are leaning in to World Series expectations. One video clip played between innings Tuesday featured a snippet of Dave Roberts’ preseason guarantee — “We’re gonna win the World Series in 2022” — on the Dan Patrick Show.

Their offense began the game playing like a World Series winner, balancing patience with seizing on Mike Clevinger’s mistakes. That offense then faded over the final six innings against San Diego’s stout bullpen.

It was the Dodgers’ bullpen, then, that produced this victory. They won’t need to be as responsible for each of the 10 more required to win it all, but in whatever order, these relievers will likely need to save at least a few more.

Pedro Moura is the national baseball writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the Dodgers for The Athletic, the Angels and Dodgers for the Orange County Register and L.A. Times, and his alma mater, USC, for ESPN Los Angeles. He is the author of “How to Beat a Broken Game.” Follow him on Twitter @pedromoura.

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