Sasaki and Kershaw Help Dodgers Shrink Magic Number to One

The Los Angeles Dodgers edged out the Arizona Diamondbacks in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night, securing a gritty 5-4 victory in extra innings. With the win, the Dodgers moved just one game away from clinching yet another NL West crown.

This wasn’t just another entry in the win column. It was a revealing test of manager Dave Roberts’ willingness to experiment with his pitching staff—a strategy that could end up mattering a whole lot in October.

Standout performances came from starters-turned-relievers. Clutch hitting in the late frames gave fans a glimpse into how postseason matchups might play out.

Strong Start Sets the Tone

Blake Snell made his case as a reliable postseason starter. He gave the Dodgers six quality innings, allowing just one run and keeping Arizona’s bats mostly silent early on.

That poise let Los Angeles build an early cushion. You could feel the confidence growing in the dugout.

Pages and Hernández Provide Sparks

Offensively, the Dodgers struck quickly. Andy Pages lit up the scoreboard with a two-run blast in the third inning, putting immediate pressure on Arizona.

Not long after, Teoscar Hernández doubled home another run. That stretched the lead and showed off the lineup’s sneaky depth.

An Unlikely Bullpen Blueprint

While the offense built a lead, things got interesting when the Dodgers turned to unconventional relief options. With the regular bullpen’s late-inning struggles flaring up again, Roberts looked toward familiar faces—just in unfamiliar roles.

Roki Sasaki’s Electric Return

Fresh off the injured list, Roki Sasaki made his first MLB appearance since May and tossed a scoreless seventh inning. His fastball hit 99 mph, and that splitter had some wicked movement.

Sasaki left hitters guessing. If Roberts uses him right in high-leverage spots, he could really shake up the postseason.

Kershaw in the Ninth

Clayton Kershaw’s return to relief work was wild to see—fans haven’t watched him in that role since the 2019 NLDS. The veteran ace needed just one inning to remind everyone of his pedigree.

He retired the side in the ninth with classic Kershaw precision. This little experiment hints at how Roberts might rethink pitching assignments in October.

Late-Inning Danger

The Dodgers’ regular bullpen nearly let the game slip away. A three-run lead vanished in the eighth as Alex Vesia and rookie Edgardo Henriquez struggled to get outs.

It’s hard not to wonder: Can the Dodgers really trust their usual late-inning arms when things get tense?

Roberts’ Risk-Taking Pays Off

Roberts made some gutsy calls. Leaning on starters for relief isn’t something you see much in the regular season, but it steadied the bullpen Wednesday night.

The Extra-Inning Heroics

Once the game moved past nine innings, the tension ramped up. In the 11th, Tommy Edman stepped up with two hits already on the night.

He knocked in a go-ahead RBI single—his third hit—and gave the Dodgers a 5-4 lead. That proved to be the difference.

A Rare Calm Finish

Justin Wrobleski wrapped things up with surprising calm, earning a stress-free save. That’s not something Dodgers fans have seen much from the bullpen lately.

A mix of clutch hitting and creative pitching decisions carried Los Angeles over the finish line.

What This Means for October

This win did more than inch the Dodgers toward the NL West title. It doubled as a test run for a possible postseason strategy.

With the bullpen still shaky, don’t be shocked if Roberts keeps turning to starters in relief to steady things when it matters most.

Playoff-Ready Resilience

Roberts praised his team’s grit and adaptability. He said the atmosphere felt a lot like playoff baseball.

He wanted everyone to know: flexibility and creativity in managing the roster might matter just as much as raw talent when the postseason hits.

For fans and analysts, Wednesday night’s win showed both the headaches and the creative fixes that could come next. The Dodgers look set to clinch the division, with October creeping closer.

No one really knows what their pitching plans will look like—maybe that’s exactly why they’ll work.

• Snell’s steady starting role could anchor postseason rotations.
• Sasaki’s velocity and control add a new dimension to relief options.
• Kershaw’s adaptability offers veteran stability in pressure spots.
• Lack of traditional bullpen reliability still a pressing concern.
• Edman’s clutch hitting underscores the depth of the Dodgers lineup.

The Dodgers are right on the edge of another NL West title. The real question is how Roberts will mix and match his pitchers and hitters to chase baseball’s biggest prize.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Relievers Roki Sasaki, Clayton Kershaw help as Dodgers reduce magic number to 1