“It shows where our game’s going, compared to what leadoff hitters used to look like,” Braves Manager Brian Snitker said. The Braves lost to the Dodgers in a four-game division series in 2013, missed the playoffs the next four years, then lost again in four games to the Dodgers in 2018. “When we faced them the last time, I said afterward we weren’t as strong as they were,” said Snitker, who has managed the Braves since 2016. bullpen, naturally, belonged to the Dodgers, whose group had a 2.74 E.R.A. While closer Kenley Jansen has looked vulnerable at times, Roberts has expertly deployed two of his young starters — Julio Urias and Dustin May — as midgame, multiple-inning weapons.

Source: New York Times October 11, 2020 21:46 UTC