Category: MLB

Here we go again.

A year afterPete Alonsohit free agency for the first time -- resulting in an incredibly long negotiation process that included some late Blue Jays buzz, pointed words toward Scott Boras from Mets owner Steve Cohen, and an eventual compromise on a two-year deal with an opt-out to return to New York -- the first baseman is about to test the market again.

In the clubhouse this past Sunday after the Mets' season ended in abject failure, Alonso confirmed what was already known -- he would be opting out of his deal.

This time, Alonso will be coming off a much stronger season than the one he had in 2024.

While playing all 162 games in 2025, Alonso slashed .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs, a career-best 41 doubles, and 126 RBI. He was an All-Star for the fifth time, had the second-best OPS of his career, and was a force with runners in scoring position -- hitting .309/.401/.634 in 217 plate appearances. 

Along the way, Alonso broke the Mets' all-time record for home runs. He now stands alone atop the leaderboard, having smacked 264 homers over his seven seasons in New York. 

Speaking on Monday, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns made similar comments about Alonso's future to the ones he made last year around this time.

"Pete is a great Met," Stearns said. "He had a fantastic year. I said this last year and it worked out – I’d love to have Pete back and we’ll see where the offseason goes."

Stearns added:

"Whenever we’re talking about departing free agents or players who were with us who are then free agents, it’s always the holistic package of what that player brings to an organization. It’s what he means to the team on the field, it’s what that player means to the community, what that player means to the fanbase. That is always part of the decision-making process, and I imagine it will be again this offseason."

Should the Mets re-sign Alonso, paving the way for him to spend his entire career in Queens? Or is it time to move on?

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO LET ALONSO GO

Alonso will be entering his age-31 season in 2026, meaning he's getting to the point where some regression can be expected.

He's also likely going to be looking for a massive payday. However -- as was the case last offseason -- it's fair to wonder how many teams will have a need for a power-hitting first baseman whose defense is suspect and be able to afford to pay him. 

About that defense...

Alonso was near the very bottom of the league in 2025 when it came to range/Outs Above Average, ranking in the second percentile. His arm also graded out as very poor (fifth percentile), and he had issues with throws all season. It was Alonso's high throw to first base to a covering Kodai Senga that led to Senga's hamstring injury in June.

Then there's Stearns' comments about needing to improve the team's run prevention and the possibility of shaking up the offensive core. 

"I come at this like we need to create a better roster that fits together better," Stearns said the day after the season ended. "I think our players worked their tails off. I think they came to the park with the right attitude every single day, and it didn’t work. So I need to take a long, hard look at our roster."

Of the Mets' core, Juan Soto is obviously going nowhere (as should be the case), Francisco Lindor is a perennial MVP candidate who plays plus defense at shortstop, and Brandon Nimmo has a full no-trade clause (and likely not a ton of value on the market given his age and contract situation). That means letting Alonso go could perhaps be the easiest way to shake things up.

While Alonso's offensive profile remains mostly terrific, he has had more swing and miss in his game over the last two seasons, striking out 162 times in 2025 after fanning a career-high 172 times in 2024. If his bat starts to slow down, those strikeout numbers could spike.

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO KEEP ALONSO

Alonso is a really damn good hitter, and his advanced stats back it up.

He was in the 90th percentile or better this past season in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel percentage, hard hit percentage, and bat speed. 

And while Alonso could perhaps be seeking a deal worth five or six years at roughly $30 million per season, it's not a slam dunk that any team will be prepared to give that to him. Maybe the Rangers could have interest, but they trimmed their payroll ahead of 2025. The Red Sox could be a fit, especially if Alex Bregman walks, but they should have Triston Casas back and healthy in 2026. The Yankees don't make much sense since they already have two right-handed power hitters who strike out a lot (Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton). The Cubs have Michael Busch at first base.

So it's possible Alonso falls back into the Mets' lap, though it will obviously take a bigger deal in terms of length than it did last offseason.

As the Mets weigh whether to reunite with Alonso, it's also worth noting that they don't have anyone ready to step in at first base if he leaves.

Before they re-signed Alonso last offseason, they floated the idea that Mark Vientos could be his replacement. But after Vientos had a down year (.702 OPS), it's impossible to see New York going in that direction for 2026. As far as options in the minors, the power-hitting Ryan Clifford could theoretically become one at some point soon. But he's not ready, and doesn't have the same kind of polished approach at the plate that Carson Benge and Jett Williams possess. 

Another thing in Alonso's favor is that he plays nearly every day, and has done so for his entire career.

Out of a possible 1,032 regular season games over seven seasons, Alonso has played in 1,008 of them -- that includes all 162 each of the last two seasons.

VERDICT

There's the logical side of this -- Alonso, while not a great defender, is a really good hitter at a position of need for the Mets, and has proven he can excel in New York.

Then there's the emotional side of it.

In addition to what he brings at the plate, Alonso has been a terrific Met off the field, is beloved by most of the fanbase, and has repeatedly expressed a desire over the last few seasons to remain in New York.

If Alonso's market doesn't get out of control -- and there's really no reason to expect it will -- it makes all the sense in the world for the Mets to make a strong effort to bring him back.

It will make even more sense for the Mets to reunite with Alonso if he's open to starting to transition to designated hitter in the coming seasons, which would allow the team to place a greater emphasis on defense at first base.

In the meantime, they can seek to improve their team defense by focusing on third base, second base, and center field.

With Boras as Alonso's agent, this will likely not be easy. But as was the case last offseason, the most sensible outcome is Alonso winding up back with the Mets. In that regard, nothing has changed. 

Buster Posey rules out franchise icon Bruce Bochy returning as Giants manager originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — A few hours after the Giants parted ways with Bob Melvin, the Texas Rangers announced that Bruce Bochy would not be back as their manager. 

The connection was easy to make, but there will be no reunion, Buster Posey said Wednesday. At least not when it comes to this search for a new manager

Posey said he spoke with Bochy earlier this week and let him know that he’s looking in a different direction. 

Buster Posey doesn't envision the Giants pursuing Bruce Bochy for their managerial opening pic.twitter.com/AtPR7r8afI

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) October 1, 2025

“The door is always open here for some sort of role, but the way I think things are coming into picture in my mind with where we want to go next, I don’t see us going that route with Boch,” Posey said. “Obviously, (I have) a tremendous amount of respect (for him).

“It’s interesting, when I was a player, I didn’t consider Boch necessarily a friend. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, because he had this reverence and respect that he demanded from his players, but now post-playing, I consider Boch a friend and somebody that I know I can pick the phone up and call anytime and ask anything from him. That’s where I’m at.”

Bochy spent three seasons in Texas, winning a World Series in his first year back from retirement but then having two years that were similar to the ones that Melvin experienced. Friends of Bochy believe he would go one more year somewhere given the right opportunity, but Posey indicated that he is looking to hire somebody who can be his long-term partner. 

On that front, Posey offered few specifics on Wednesday at his end-of-season press conference. He said he has had conversations with a few candidates already and that work will continue this week, but wouldn’t offer any names or rule anyone out.

A couple of potential candidates could quickly become the choices elsewhere. Skip Schumaker was considered the manager-in-waiting in Texas, and that job now is open. The Los Angeles Angels reportedly are interested in hiring former MLB superstar Albert Pujols, who is ready to try his hand at managing.

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Potential start times announced for Game 1 of Phillies' NLDS series  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies will officially begin their 2025 edition of Red October on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park.

MLB on Wednesday announced potential start times for Game 1 of its division series. The Phillies will: 

Host either the Dodgers or Reds on Saturday at 6:08 p.m. if the Red Sox win their Wild Card series vs. the Yankees.

Host either L.A. or Cincinnati on Saturday at 6:38 p.m. if the Yankees win the series vs. the Red Sox.

The Dodgers took a 10-5 win over the Reds in Game 1 of their Wild Card series. The Red Sox earned a 3-1 victory in Game 1 at Yankee Stadium. 

Though start times have yet to be announced beyond Game 1, here’s the remaining dates for the Phils’ best-of-five NLDS series:

• Game 2: Monday, Oct. 6
• Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 8 
• Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 9 (if necessary) 
• Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 11 (if necessary) 

MLB managers on the market: Top candidates and job openings for 2026 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Postseason baseball is underway, but many teams are already preparing for next spring.

With 18 teams not continuing into the playoffs, those clubs have a month to prepare for the offseason before free agency kicks off following the World Series.

A handful of franchises are getting an early start with changes to their coaching staffs, whether that’s firing their old manager or not renewing contracts for 2026.

Here’s a look at the teams with managerial openings and the top candidates available:

Which MLB teams need a new manager in 2026?

As of Oct. 1, eight MLB teams will hire a new full-time manager for the 2026 season. Teams still playing in the postseason could move on from their managers after being eliminated, too.

Here’s the full list of job openings:

• Atlanta Braves
• Baltimore Orioles
• Colorado Rockies
• Los Angeles Angels
• Minnesota Twins
• San Francisco Giants
• Texas Rangers
• Washington Nationals

MLB managers fired in 2025

The Orioles, Rockies, Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates got a head start on the coaching cycle by firing their managers mid-season.

Warren Schaeffer was named Colorado’s interim skipper on May 11 when Bud Black was fired, while Tony Mansolino took over for Brandon Hyde in Batlimore on May 17. The Nationals had Miguel Cairo replace Dave Martinez on July 6, with new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni leading a search for a potential replacement. All three clubs still haven’t announced, as of Oct. 1, if their interim managers will be given the full-time tag for 2026.

The Pittsburgh Pirates fired Derek Shelton on May 8, but interim manager Don Kelly was given the full-time job following the season.

The Giants fired Bob Melvin on Sept. 29 despite picking up his option for the 2026 season in July. Rocco Baldelli had a similar fate in Minnesota, with the Twins firing him the same day after reportedly picking up his 2026 option in June.

Bruce Bochy, three years after leading the Rangers to a World Series title, won’t return to Texas after he and the team mutually agreed to end his tenure on Sept. 29.

The Angels are moving on from the combination of Ron Washington and Ray Montgomery, who led the team to a 72-90 record in 2025. Washington underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery, forcing Montgomery to take over for most of the season. The team announced on Sept. 30 that neither manager would return in 2026.

On Oct. 1, the Braves announced that Brian Snitker will transition to an advisory role within the organization after managing since 2016. The 2021 World Series winner went 811-668 in 10 seasons.

Top MLB managerial candidates for 2026

Many of the managers who were let go could be top candidates to quickly get new gigs, including Melvin, Hyde and Bochy.

Other teams could look to coaches already on their own staff to be promoted, or potential front office voices to move down into the dugout.

Looking beyond the names already mentioned, here are five other potential candidates to keep an eye on during this cycle:

Mark DeRosa

Since retiring in 2013 after 16 MLB seasons, DeRosa has largely made his name as an analyst for MLB Network. But he has some managerial experience, too, leading Team USA at the World Baseball Classic in 2023. He’s never coached on a big league staff, but his time with the nation’s best players could make him a home-run hire. DeRosa played for the Braves (1998-2004), Rangers (2005-06), Giants (2010-11) and Nationals (2012).

Skip Schumaker

The current senior advisor for the Rangers, Schumaker has an obvious tie that makes him a candidate in Texas. He managed the Miami Marlins in 2023 and 2024 — making the postseason in his first year — and he’s still just 45 years old. If he wants to get back in the dugout, Schumaker could be a top option for several clubs.

David Ross

During four seasons as the Chicago Cubs manager, Ross made the playoffs just once. But two seasons on the sidelines should be enough to get him back on the list of viable candidates. The 48-year-old former catcher played for the Braves from 2009-12.

George Lombard Sr.

Lombard is due for his first managerial job after 10 seasons as a first base coach and bench coach. His first five years were with the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning the World Series in 2020 before moving to the Detroit Tigers in 2021. A former outfielder, Lombard played for the Braves (1998-2000) and Nationals (2006).

Ryan Flaherty

The Cubs’ bench coach is a prime candidate for a promotion after Chicago’s turnaround. Flaherty spent most of his playing career with the Orioles (2012-17) before a year with the Braves (2018). If Baltimore doesn’t make Mansolino the full-time manager, the 39-year-old Flaherty is an obvious option.

Giants' top prospect Bryce Eldridge will have offseason surgery on left wrist originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Bryce Eldridge was a name Giants fans clamored for much of the 2025 MLB season.

When the 20-year-old finally joined the roster in mid-September, hoping to help San Francisco make a playoff push, the 6-foot-7 first baseman struggled with his bat as he finished the season with a .107 average in just 10 games played.

There might have been a reason for that, however, as the Giants announced on Tuesday morning that Eldridge will undergo surgery on his left wrist to remove a bone spur.

The Giants say Bryce Eldridge will have surgery to remove a bone spur in his left wrist. It’s only about eight weeks of rehab, so won’t impact his preparation for spring training.

— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) October 1, 2025

The surgery will require an eight-week rehab process, so Eldridge’s availability for next season shouldn’t be affected.

Giants general manager Zack Minasian spoke on Tuesday at San Francisco’s end-of-season press conference about the team’s top prospect and if the first base position will be Eldridge’s moving forward.

“I think we’ll try to stay open-minded,” Minasian said. “Still go into spring training with the idea what’s best for the Giants and what’s best for Bryce so hopefully, for him, the offseason focus is just getting healthy, getting that wrist back to 100 percent, come to spring training ready to go and we’ll where it goes, what the options are for us. But, I think he did a great job for us while he was here.”

Eldridge, the 16th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, began the 2025 season at rookie ball, then played 34 games at Double-A and finally ended up at Triple-A where he cranked 18 home runs in just 66 games.

That power ultimately proved worthy of a late-season MLB call-up, where he spent most of his time as San Francisco’s designated hitter.

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Pulse Power Rankings: Multiple WNBA dramas highlight frenzied day

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There are not many days in which we start this newsletter by saying, “I have to just tell you everything that happened yesterday.” Yesterday, however, was so good that we’re going to do exactly that. 

Consider this a power ranking of Monday’s incredible playoff action, starting with the WNBA stealing the spotlight: 

1. The Aces are back in the WNBA Finals, barely

For the third time in four seasons, the Las Vegas Aces will play in the finals. It’s an expected outcome after a most unexpected, bonkers game last night. 

The Aces and Fever played to overtime in a Game 5 classic, with Vegas only separating after Indiana lost Kelsey Mitchell to injury and Aliyah Boston to foul trouble. The Aces were clearly the better team, but anyone watching last night’s game came away equally impressed with a Fever team that’s been through a lot this year. To come five minutes from reaching the finals after all that is almost unbelievable. 

The W also soaked up an entire news cycle’s worth of headlines yesterday outside of the exquisite game: 

Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier said the league has the “worst leadership in the world” in a prepared statement during a news conference. Collier was largely referencing some pain points with game officials, who became a focal point after Collier suffered an ankle injury in Game 3 of Minnesota’s semifinal loss to Phoenix. Collier and Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve were furious with the lack of a foul call. Read Collier’s full statement here.

Collier also referenced ongoing negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, which seem like a mess at this point. Kelsey Plum said yesterday the league is stalling. Plum and others agreed with Collier that the league needs new leadership, too. Tough day for commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

Oh, and the finals begin Friday. I asked Ben Pickman for his early read on the matchup: 

“This series has a fascinating frontcourt matchup as the Mercury have reached the WNBA Finals in large part because of their star bigs, Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally, while the Aces are led by four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson. How the two coaches try to defend each team’s frontcourt will go a long way in determining who takes home the title. Bonus interesting question: Can the Aces re-ignite any dynasty talk by winning a third title in four years?”

2. Shohei Ohtani went nuclear

In baseball’s nightcap, the Dodgers took a 1-0 series lead over the Reds with a 10-5 win, fueled by Shohei Ohtani’s two home runs. L.A. hit five dingers in the game, and this one felt over quickly. Look how quickly his leadoff homer got out:

Welcome to the SHO 💥

🎥 @MLB | #Postseasonpic.twitter.com/JJH4dVGwty

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 1, 2025

Dude might be pretty good. Let’s take a quick news break before returning to the rankings:

News to Know

Wild sign Kaprizov after all

The Minnesota Wild agreed to a record eight-year, $136 million extension with superstar Kirill Kaprizov, the richest in NHL history by both total salary and average annual value ($17 million). It comes three weeks after the 28-year-old Kaprizov declined to sign an eight-year deal worth $128 million, which many thought could lead to Kaprizov hitting free agency next summer. Instead, Minnesota secured its future.

More news

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni insists A.J. Brown wants to be in Philadelphia despite some cryptic social posts yesterday.

In other WNBA news: The league agreed to an 11-year media rights deal to air games on USA Network. Read more here.

The Jonathan Kuminga saga is over in Golden State. The 22-year-old agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract yesterday. Full details here.

Golf legend Tom Watson was “ashamed” of the American Ryder Cup crowds. See his comments.

The Angels will also be searching for a new manager after announcing yesterday that Ron Washington will not return.

Chris Koras, head of baseball for the Klutch Sports agency, abruptly resigned last week.

A warning given to Daniil Medvedev at the China Open about his effort level was an error, according to the ATP. Strange story.

📫 Love The Pulse? Check out our other newsletters.

Pulse Power Rankings, Cont.: Shout-out to pitchers

Back to the power rankings: 

3. Boston’s steely swipe

The Yankees entered these playoffs as arguably the hottest team in the bracket. A loaded roster and a great September made them a trendy World Series pick. 

The division-rival Red Sox instead went to Yankee Stadium last night and exited with a thrilling 3-1 win. Garrett Crochet was spectacular over 7 2/3 innings, giving up just the one run. And Aroldis Chapman, who has reinvented himself in Boston, got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth to win the game. 

Sox can clinch tonight. Wild. 

4. Tarik Skubal course-corrected

For now, the story of Detroit’s season is its historic collapse down the stretch. The thing the Tigers needed most, after letting the AL Central slip to the Guardians, was a Game 1 win, on the road in Cleveland, in the AL Wild Card Series. 

Staff ace Skubal delivered just that in 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball, as Detroit eked out a 2-1 road win. The margins are so small in this round. This was a massive, massive win. 

5. The Cubs found a buzz

Chicago finished the season 92-70, which in a normal year would’ve been plenty good to win a division title. But this is a wild-card team, and the emotions are more tenuous in this fan base. 

The Cubbies used back-to-back home runs yesterday to beat the Padres, 3-1, the franchise’s first postseason win since 2017. There was pent-up energy at Wrigley Field, as Patrick Mooney wrote, and a Game 1 win was cathartic. 

What a day all around. Let’s do it again in a few hours.

What to Watch

📺 MLB: Tigers at Guardians

1 p.m. ET on ESPN

We have the same run of schedule today as we did yesterday. The Tigers, Cubs, Red Sox and Dodgers can all advance. See all the games here. 

📺 Soccer: PSG at FC Barcelona

3 p.m. ET on Paramount+

The Champions League also continues today with a full slate. This is probably the juiciest matchup, but decide for yourself. 

Get tickets to games like these here.

Pulse Picks

The college QB class has been … surprising this year. It’s still “special,” as Bruce Feldman reports, but it’s different than we expected. Here’s what scouts have gotten right and wrong about the top signal callers. 

Want a preview of the future of college sports? Read Ralph Russo’s breakdown of the SCORE Act and the SAFE Act. 

Jurgen Klopp is one of the best managers in the modern era of European soccer. In an exclusive interview with The Athletic, he said he never wants to coach again. 

I really enjoyed Dan Woike’s story from earlier in the week on Austin Reaves, who’s at an inflection point with the ever-interesting Lakers. Reaves wants to stay in L.A. — but just made a huge bet on himself. 

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: NFL Power Rankings, of course. 

Most-read on the website yesterday: ☝️

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

MLB, WNBA, The Pulse

2025 The Athletic Media Company

The Dodgers are not here for conventional wisdom. The Dodgers are here to win the World Series.

So what if an unforeseen hurdle appeared in front of their October path? The Dodgers are on the verge of turning that hurdle into an unexpected but well-planned advantage on their quest to become baseball’s first back-to-back champions in 25 years.

Conventional wisdom says the odds favor a team with a bye, because that team can set up its pitching rotation for the division series just the way it wants while its opponent burns through its best arms in the wild-card series. The Dodgers are one win away from storming through the wild-card series and setting up their pitching rotation for the division series just fine, thank you very much.

Read more:Plaschke: Dodgers flatten overmatched Reds in unwanted first round. But about that bullpen...

That, it turns out, is what you can do when your star-studded starting rotation is healthy and effective for the first time all season, at precisely the right time.

The Dodgers thoroughly outclassed the Cincinnati Reds, 10-5, in Tuesday’s opener of the best-of-three wild-card series. If the Dodgers win Wednesday, or if they win Thursday, they would advance to what would be the premier matchup in all the National League playoffs: the Dodgers vs. the Philadelphia Phillies.

“I think the biggest downside of playing in a wild-card series, obviously, if you’re able to advance, is what your pitching looks like after that,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “That’s the cost.

“And I think, with our depth, that’s really mitigated.”

It ain’t over ‘til it’s over. If the Angels could go 6-0 against the Dodgers this season, the Reds could win the next two games.

Read more:'It's awesome.' Blake Snell gives the Dodgers just what they paid for

However, the Reds used their best pitcher, Hunter Greene, in Game 1. The Dodgers have their best pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, ready to deploy in Game 2.

And, since the best-of-three wild card format was introduced in 2022, all 12 teams that have won Game 1 have gone on to win the series.

So let’s plan this out. If the Dodgers win Wednesday, Shohei Ohtani could start Game 1 of the division series Saturday. If the Reds force a decisive third game Thursday, Ohtani is the scheduled starter — and, if the Dodgers win, Tyler Glasnow, Emmet Sheehan and Clayton Kershaw all could be options for Game 1 of the division series.

Kershaw would be available for sure, as he is not on the wild-card roster and he would be pitching on regular rest.

“To have Clayton Kershaw standing there ready, no matter how we deploy our pitching this week, gets at the cost (of playing in the wild-card round) not being as great,” Friedman said.

And the division series includes an off day after each of the first two games, which would enable the Dodgers to use Snell on five days’ rest for Game 2 and Yamamoto on six days’ rest for Game 3.

The Dodgers have so much flexibility, in fact, that manager Dave Roberts declined to say that Ohtani would start Game 1 of the division series if the Dodgers close out the wild-card series Wednesday.

“You’re getting ahead,” Roberts said, “but one of the first two games, probably.”

It is important that Snell held the Reds to two runs in Tuesday’s victory, but it is more important that he pitched seven innings. The Dodgers asked their relievers to cover two innings with an eight-run lead, and it took four of them to do it.

The Dodgers’ road to success is clear: more of the starters, less of the erratic relievers, and less need to lean on Glasnow and Sheehan in an unfamiliar role.

Read more:Dodgers open playoffs with displays of dominance and disorder in win over Reds

“The deeper that the starters go in the game — one, it means that we’re pitching good; but, two, you’re giving the bullpen a break and a breather, and they get to be 100% every time they come out,” Snell said.

“That makes for a different game that favors us.”

The Dodgers improvised their way to a title last October, with three starting pitchers and four bullpen games. That was not conventional wisdom, either.

This time of year, however, most postseason teams have three or four reliable starters. The Dodgers have six. If they have to play in an extra round, well, what doesn’t kill them makes them stronger.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Imagine if the Dodgers hadn’t scored a gazillion runs.

Shudder.

Imagine how the majority of spectators would have tensed up when manager Dave Roberts trudged to the mound to remove Alex Vesia if the game was actually close.

Hoo boy.

Imagine the devastation the Dodgers would have experienced if Jack Dreyer’s bases-loaded walk legitimately endangered their chances of winning.

Read more:Plaschke: Dodgers flatten overmatched Reds in unwanted first round. But about that bullpen...

Barf.

The postseason started for the Dodgers on Tuesday night, and their pumpkin of a bullpen didn’t magically transform into an elegant carriage in a 10-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of their National League wild-card series.

On a night when the hitters crushed five home runs and starter Blake Snell completed seven innings, the relievers continued to be as terrible as they were over the last three months of the regular season.

The Dodgers technically moved a win closer to defending their World Series title, but that ultimate goal suddenly looked further out of reach because of a shocking 30-minute top of the eighth inning during which three of their arsonist relievers nearly created a save situation out of an eight-run game.

Can a team possibly win a World Series with such an unreliable bullpen?

Before the game, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he thought so.

“It’s not a talent issue,” Friedman said, but who knows if this was an honest assessment or a disingenuous effort to convince his audience that he hadn’t wasted tens of millions of dollars on a bunch of no-chancers.

Friedman continued, “We’ve seen it time and time again with guys who have scuffled and all of a sudden found it and they roll off a heater.”

That’s not what happened in Game 1.

If anything, the troublesome eighth inning eliminated certain relievers from consideration to pitch in in the highest-leverage of situations.

Suspicions about rookie fireballer Edgardo Henriquez were confirmed, as Henriquez walked a batter to load the bases, walked in a run and gave up a run-scoring single.

The wishful thinking that Dreyer could be a late-inning option was dented, as Dreyer entered the game and walked in another run.

Most disconcerting was the performance of Vesia, the team’s most trusted reliever.

Vesia started the inning, with the Dodgers leading 10-2. The use of Vesia in such a lopsided game spoke to how little Roberts wanted to use any of his other relievers in a game of this magnitude, but the fiery left-hander looked like a rubber band that had been stretched out too many times. Vesia, who pitched a career-high 68 games in the regular season, retired only one batter. He gave up a hit and a walk.

So what now?

Roberts sounded as if the only relievers he trusted were his starters. He said Tyler Glasnow and Emmet Sheehan would be in the bullpen for Game 2.

Glasnow was last used as a reliever in 2018. He’s never pitched out of the bullpen in the postseason.

Sheehan has pitched in relief in only five of 28 career games. He has only one career save, and that was in a four-inning appearance in a blowout.

The Dodgers have contemplated deploying Shohei Ohtani out of the bullpen. They could also have other starting pitchers such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Snell pitch in relief instead of throwing scheduled bullpen sessions between starts.

The team’s highest-ceiling late-inning option could be Roki Sasaki, who struck out two batters in each of the two one-inning appearances he made in the final week of the regular season.

Read more:Dodgers open playoffs with displays of dominance and disorder in win over Reds

But outside of Ohtani, who closed out the championship game of the most recent World Baseball Classic, can any of these starters really be counted on to perform in unfamiliar roles?

Will Yamamoto and Snell really be unaffected in their starts if they also pitch in relief?

It’s unclear.

But what is clear is the Dodgers can’t wait around for the likes of Tanner Scott or Blake Treinen or anyone who pitched in the eighth inning on Tuesday to magically round into form as Friedman envisions. They have to try something new.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

One way to keep Dodger relievers from ruining the team’s postseason run is to keep the bullpen gate closed for as long as possible.

Blake Snell gave that strategy a whirl in Game 1 of the National League wild-card series Tuesday, pitching a solid — sometimes brilliant —- seven innings. But even then he and his teammates had to wait out the nightly bullpen meltdown before escaping with a 10-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

“Blake was fantastic tonight,” manager Dave Roberts said. “You could see he was in complete control. The fastball was great. The change-up was plus.

“Kind of mixing and matching and he really was in control the entire game.”

The bullpen? Not so much. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

Read more:Plaschke: Dodgers flatten overmatched Reds in unwanted first round. But about that bullpen...

For Snell, it was that mixing and matching that made him so tough, Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said.

“The big difference-maker was his change-up,” Francona said. “It was his ability to manipulate the change-up, even vary it. He'd throw one that was 87 [mph] and one that was 82. And he threw two, three, four in a row at times at times, all different speeds.

“You throw a 97 [mph fastball] in there, and it becomes difficult.”

Snell was efficient from the start, retiring the side in the first on seven pitches. He set down the first eight Reds in order, then after giving up a double and walk in the third, retired the next 10 in a row, allowing him to pitch deep into the game.

Given the bullpen’s continued struggles, that’s likely to be a blueprint the Dodgers will continue to follow in the playoffs.

“It felt good to go deep in the ballgame,” said Snell, whose seven innings matched a season high. “I felt really in control, I could read swings and just kind of navigate through the lineup.

“The deeper that the starters go in the game, it means we're pitching good. But it means you're giving the bullpen a break. So it just makes for a different game that favors us.”

Tuesday’s start was Snell’s 11th, for three teams, in the postseason. But it was his first since 2022. Getting back to October was one reason why the left-hander signed with the Dodgers 10 months ago (the five-year $182-million contract the team was offered was another reason).

 “It's awesome,” said Snell, who was wearing a blue hoodie emblazoned with the Dodgers playoff slogan “Built For Fall” across the front. “There's nothing better than pitching a postseason game in front of your home crowd. To be able to enjoy that, it meant a lot.”

And Snell took advantage, breezing into the seventh having given up just a hit. He didn’t give up a run until Elly De La Cruz’s fielder’s choice grounder with two out in the inning.

De La Cruz would score the Reds’ second run on Tyler Stephenson’s double three pitches later.

Snell got the next hitter to end the threat, with the seven innings pitched marking a career playoff best. He had matched his playoff high with nine strikeouts by the sixth inning, which he needed just 70 pitches to complete. He wound up throwing 91 pitches, giving up four hits and a walk, before Roberts went to the bullpen to start the eighth, with predictable results.

Alex Vesia was the first man through the gate and he retired just one of the three batters he faced. He was followed by flamethrower Edgardo Henriquez, who walked the first two hitters and gave up a hit to the third, forcing in two runs.

Jack Dreyer was next and he walked in another run. After entering the inning down by eight runs, Cincinnati brought the tying run to the on-deck circle with one out.

Dreyer eventually settled down, retiring the side, but the three pitchers needed 59 pitches — and 30 minutes — to get through the inning. By the time Blake Treinen came on to finish things off, starter Emmet Sheehan had started warming up.

Read more:Dodgers open playoffs with displays of dominance and disorder in win over Reds

All told, Roberts needed four relievers to get the final six outs, leaving the Dodgers hoping for a Snell-like performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 on Wednesday to avoid straining the bullpen further.

“Those guys are on their heels with the lead we have,” Roberts said of the Reds entering the eighth inning. “When you start being too fine and getting behind, you start giving them free bases, that's how you can build innings and get momentum. So that's what I saw in that inning there for sure.

“If we don't feel comfortable using certain guys with an eight-run lead, then we've got to think through some things.” 

Maybe Snell will get a chance to finish what he starts next time out. It’s certainly no worse than the alternative.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

This isn’t a series, it’s calisthenics.

The Dodgers shouldn’t be here battling baseball’s junior varsity, and they know it, and they’re intent on pounding and pitching their way out of this embarrassing situation as quickly as possible.

Wild card round? The defending champions are nobody’s wild card.

The Cincinnati Reds? Human byes.

October came a day early to Chavez Ravine Tuesday and the shouldn’t-be-here Dodgers welcomed it with their annoyance, tying a club postseason record with five homers and dismantling the Reds 10-5 in the opener of a three-game wild-card series that should be mercifully completed by midweek.

Read more:Dodgers waste no time finding their October groove in Game 1 win over Reds

The Dodgers finished 10 games ahead of the Reds in the standings, and won five out of six during the regular season, and only got lumped with the pretenders when their bullpen fell apart and they blew a chance at having the week off.

If the Dodgers had taken care of business they would have finished with one of the two best records in the National League and would have drawn a first-round bye as they did the previous three seasons. But, no, they finished behind Milwaukee and Philadelphia and so, even though they claimed the National League West title for the 12th time in 13 years, they were forced into a three-games-at-home wild card round.

Hello, Reds.

Good-bye, Reds.

The Dodgers will sweep this series with a win in Game 2 Wednesday, and considering they’re sending ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound, a victory seems likely. In any event, there’s no way the Reds are winning two straight at rollicking Dodger Stadium, so book your attention to Philadelphia this weekend for the beginning of the five-game division series against the Phillies.

The only way the Reds made it this far was because the New York Mets stumbled down the stretch and lost in Miami on the final day of the season. And if Tuesday was any indication, there’s no way the Reds are getting out of here alive.

The Dodgers knocked them backward on the game’s fifth pitch with a scorching home run by Shohei Ohtani against Reds ace Hunter Greene, the second consecutive year Ohtani has started the Dodgers postseason with a longball.

The Dodgers knocked them flat two innings later with four runs on homers by last season’s playoff heroes Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman.

The game was over within its first hour, and the Dodgers were just getting started.

Hernández later added a second home run and, oh yeah, so did Ohtani, two of last season’s postseason stars who love the moment.

“I think it's the clutch gene,” said Dodger Manager Dave Roberts. “I think they're not afraid to fail. They like the spotlight. And it's just a really good heartbeat for those guys in those big moments.”

And to think, neither qualified as the game’s hero.

That title belonged to starter Blake Snell, who fooled the Reds into quick swings, wild swings, silly swings, and just four hits with nine strikeouts in seven innings. Perhaps just as important, he lasted 91 pitches, allowing Dodger Manager Dave Roberts to stay out the dreaded bullpen as long as humanely possible.

“The deeper that the starters go in the game, one, it means we're pitching good; but, two, it means you're giving the bullpen a break and breather,” said Snell. “And they get to be 100 percent every time they come out. So it just makes for a different game that favors us.” 

Of course, Roberts had to eventually crack that left-field door, and disaster very nearly occurred when three Dodger relievers accounted for four walks that led to three eighth-inning runs. But Jack Dreyer managed to get two outs with the bases loaded and Blake Treinen finished the game by allowing just a bloop single in the ninth.

“If we don't feel comfortable using certain guys with an eight-run lead, then we've got to think through some things,” said a dismayed Roberts.

It turns out, even the weakest part of this Dodger team was enough to eventually quiet the visitors, who shouldn’t be here too much longer.

It’s almost as if the Reds were intimidated even before the game began, as the Dodgers buried them in their thickest pregame brine.

Ice Cube was on the video board screaming that it’s time for Dodger baseball. Mariachi Joe Kelly was on the mound delighting the roaring crowd with a ceremonial first pitch that appropriately bounced. Keith Williams Jr. was bringing the chills with his usual falsetto-laden national anthem.

Jason Alexander was on the video board begging the fans to cheer louder… wait a minute. Jason Alexander? Didn’t his Seinfeld character work for the New York Yankees? What was he doing in the heart of Dodgerland? No wonder the fans were ignoring him.

Alexander’s appearance was one of the only mistakes on a night that gave hope that the Dodgers’ late-season steam — they finished 9-2 and led the league in scoring in the final weeks — could carry them far past this miserable little first-round dalliance.

“Momentum is real,” Roberts said, later adding, “I think that whether it's the Rangers find their way into the postseason to then win the World Series or some team finishing hot and remaining hot or in a particular game, I do believe in a postseason game, momentum is real.”

As usual at Chavez Ravine, that momentum built as the game went along, rare empty seats in the stands but full-throated scream from the fans, yet another reason the Dodgers blew it by not getting home-field advantage in later rounds.

“I do love being at home because a lot of times that's what perpetuates it, the home crowd, the energy,” said Roberts.

But, seriously, about that bullpen…

Before the game, Dodgers baseball boss Andrew Friedman bravely faced the question of his bullpen, a mess that he created with poor winter signings and unwise midseason inactivity.

Not surprisingly, he defended his guys.

“They've had stretches of good, they've had some stretches where it's been really tough and challenging,” he acknowledged. “At the end of the day, as we're working through it the last couple of weeks, it's not a talent issue.”

In other words, they’re competent relievers just going through a bad, awful, horrible, season-altering stretch?

“Relievers, kind of like place kickers, are tightrope walkers,” Friedman said. “It's what they do for a living. They do well, people forget about them. They don't do well and they're in the ire of everything. So it's tough.”

Read more:Dodgers hit 5 home runs and Blake Snell shines in Game 1 win over Reds

Friedman said it’s a matter of confidence, which is understandable when a group gets hammered all season like these guys.

“And when the confidence is wavering, the execution is off,” Friedman said. “When the execution is off, you get behind and you come in zone and you're just more likely to take on damage. So it's kind of that imperfect storm in a lot of ways.”

Storm, is right. What kind of bullpen fools around with an eight-run lead, as the Dodgers reliever did Tuesday night when threatening to ruin everything?

The bullpen survived, but for how long? This series may soon be over, but Philadelphia awaits. This first step into October was an impressive one. It will also be the easiest one.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.