by Cary Osborne

It took 47 seasons for the American League and National League to finally look alike. And it took a pandemic-shortened Major League season to make it happen.

But in 2020, the designated hitter became part of the lineup for NL teams.

We knew it would present a different look and would allow teams to take advantage of their depth and give them more flexibility.

But what sort of difference did the new rule — as of now, only approved for this past season — make for baseball and the Dodgers?

It might surprise you.

Where did the DH make its biggest impact for the Dodgers?
Because it’s so fresh in our minds, we might think it was the postseason. But Dodger DHs actually didn’t produce a whole lot of thunder in the playoffs. Let’s take away the three World Series games (Games 3–5) where the Dodgers were the road team and would have had a DH in any season. In the other 15 postseason games, Dodger DHs were 11-for-56 (.196) with three extra-base hits. …

(Editor’s Note: This is the concluding story in a series that looks at 10 plays you may not remember but shouldn’t be forgotten on the Dodgers’ October road to a World Series title.)

Previous Stories
Barnes knocks Snell out
Floro’s three changeups
The move to May
Muncy’s voice
Kershaw’s other clutch inning
Sluggers time the bullets
Betts’ baserunning brilliance
Buehler gets out of a jam
One walk keeps hope alive

by Cary Osborne

NLDS Game 2: Ninth Inning

Cody Bellinger’s remarkable catch, saving two runs in the seventh inning by robbing Fernando Tatis Jr. of a home run, is the memorable play in National League Division Series Game 2. But there was another game-saver from that Oct. …

(Editor’s Note: This series looks at 10 plays you may not remember but shouldn’t be forgotten on the Dodgers’ October road to a World Series title.)

(Editor’s Note: This series looks at 10 plays you may not remember but shouldn’t be forgotten on the Dodgers’ October road to a World Series title.)

Previous Stories
Barnes knocks Snell out
Floro’s three changeups
The move to May
Muncy’s voice
Kershaw’s other clutch inning
Sluggers time the bullets
Betts’ baserunning brilliance
Buehler gets out of a jam

by Cary Osborne

NLCS Game 5: Sixth Inning

Max Muncy walked 20 times in the postseason — a Dodger record and tied for second-most all time in a single postseason. With the Dodgers down 3–1 in the series and down 2–1 with two outs in the sixth inning of Game 5 to the Braves, Muncy walked on a 3–2 pitch by Atlanta reliever Will Smith. …

by Cary Osborne

Mookie Betts’ incredible debut season with the Los Angeles Dodgers nearly resulted in a historic honor. Instead, Betts finished second in the National League Most Valuable Player Award voting to Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman.

Had Betts won, he would have been the second player in Major League history — joining Hall of Famer Frank Robinson — to win an MVP in the American and National League.

Betts received two first-place, 21 second-place and five third-place votes for a total of 268 votes. Freeman received 28 first-place and two second-place votes for a total of 410. …

(Editor’s Note: This series looks at 10 plays you may not remember but shouldn’t be forgotten on the Dodgers’ October road to a World Series title.)

Previous Stories
Barnes knocks Snell out
Floro’s three changeups
The move to May
Muncy’s voice
Kershaw’s other clutch inning
Dodger sluggers time bullets
Betts’ baserunning brilliance

by Cary Osborne

NLCS Game 6: Second Inning

After the Dodgers took a 3–0 lead in the first inning of a must-win Game 6 against the Braves, Walker Buehler allowed three consecutive singles, loading the bases with no outs in the top of the second inning.

In a jam, Buehler struck out Austin Riley on three pitches. Then he struck out Nick Markakis on six. Buehler then got ahead 0–2 on center fielder Cristian Pache and got him to ground out to Seager to end the threat. …

(Editor’s Note: This series looks at 10 plays you may not remember but shouldn’t be forgotten on the Dodgers’ October road to a World Series title.)

Previous Stories
Barnes knocks Snell out
Floro’s three changeups
The move to May
Muncy’s voice
Kershaw’s other clutch inning
Dodger sluggers time bullets

by Cary Osborne

World Series Games 1 & 6, NLCS Game 2

The 2020 postseason was a showcase of Mookie Betts’ many skills. His defense and power created the biggest wow moments, but his baserunning was also a huge difference-maker for the Dodgers.

Three plays stand out in particular.

Betts scored two runs in the World Series on ground balls hit to first base. …

(Editor’s Note: This series looks at 10 plays you may not remember but shouldn’t be forgotten on the Dodgers’ October road to a World Series title.)

Previous Stories
Barnes knocks Snell out
Floro’s three changeups
The move to May
Muncy’s voice
Kershaw’s other clutch inning

by Cary Osborne

World Series Games 1 & 5

There’s a phrase that hitters use when going against a hard-throwing pitcher like the Tampa Bay Rays’ Tyler Glasnow: timing a bullet. Glasnow threw 121 pitches in the regular season that were 98 mph or faster.

The Dodgers timed the bullets well.

Cody Bellinger hit a homer off Glasnow in Game 1 on a 98.2-mph fastball. Joc Pederson (98.5 mph) and Max Muncy (99.0 …

(Editor’s Note: This series looks at 10 plays you may not remember but shouldn’t be forgotten on the Dodgers’ October road to a World Series title.)

by Cary Osborne

World Series Game 5: First Inning

There were a lot of key moments in Game 5, and a lot of key moments in the series that had to do with the legendary Clayton Kershaw and the player who had a legendary postseason Randy Arozarena.

In the World Series, Arozarena hit three home runs and had a 1.234 OPS.

In the first inning of Game 5, Kershaw allowed a leadoff single to Yandy Díaz. He then battled with Arozarena. The Rays left fielder drove the eighth pitch of the at-bat into the corner in deep left field. …