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The Los Angeles Dodgers managed only one hit with a runner in scoring position throughout their NLDS matchup with the Atlanta Braves, and that hit didn't come until the seventh inning of Game 4. Andy Pages delivered a bases-loaded single off Robert Suarez in the series-clinching victory, a moment that arrived just in time.
As the Dodgers prepare for the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers, team president Andrew Friedman is hopeful that such clutch hits will come earlier and more frequently. "No, it was not [part of the plan], but the one [hit] was big," Friedman said. "I think it speaks to the vast number of ways we can win a baseball game. But certainly, for quality of life, [I] would like us to cash in a few more of those opportunities in the next round."
Postseason baseball is often defined by dominant pitching, making hits hard to come by in any situation. This year, that challenge has been especially pronounced. The Los Angeles Angels posted the lowest regular-season OPS in the majors at .679, while the Brewers' .688 OPS is the highest among playoff teams—a mere nine-point difference. Luck also plays a significant role in short series. The Chicago White Sox collected 14 hits with runners in scoring position across seven playoff games but were eliminated on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays, who advanced to the ALCS, managed just two such hits.
It's easy to overemphasize the Dodgers' struggles with runners in scoring position against the Braves, but the bigger picture matters. Few hitters are finding success in any situation, for any team, which makes the Dodgers' offensive formula in Atlanta less concerning than it might appear. They held the Braves to a .145/.259/.242 slash line in the NLDS, and their starting rotation is set up optimally to face the Brewers. Both teams boast deep pitching staffs, so the numbers could be unsightly on both sides in the NLCS. It might not matter.
Key Analysis
The Dodgers simply need to outhit the Brewers in key moments. Outhitting an opponent over an entire series is not a requirement. Recent history supports this: in last year's World Series, the Dodgers slashed .203/.294/.364 against the Toronto Blue Jays, while the Blue Jays posted a far better .269/.347/.398 line—and still lost. For the Dodgers, timely hits, not total dominance, could be the difference in the NLCS.
J.P. Hoornstra is an On SI Contributor. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, he covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time, published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors. Follow jphoornstra.