The Dodgers mightve lastly discovered a solution to their long-maddening bullpen issues.

Simply use some starters.

In a 5-4 extra-innings win over the Arizona Diamondbacks that lowered their magic quantity to clinch the Nationwide League West to at least one, the Dodgers once more squandered a late-game lead when their conventional relievers faltered. They nonetheless didnt make successful look so simple as it ought to have.

However win, they did on this night time thanks largely to 2 scoreless innings of aid from Roki Sasaki and Clayton Kershaw.

The sport wasnt determined till the eleventh inning, when Tommy Edman gave the Dodgers a lead they lastly wouldnt relinquish.

It by no means wouldve gotten there, nonetheless, with out the contributions of Sasaki and Kershaw out of the bullpen.

Learn extra: Dodgers bullpen stays a multitude. Can Roki Sasakis return present reliable aid?

Activated from the injured listing shortly earlier than the sport, and making his first look within the majors since struggling a shoulder damage in early Might, Sasaki flashed promising indicators with a scoreless body within the backside of the seventh, defending a 3-1 lead the crew had been staked to by Blake Snells six-inning, one-run begin, and an early offensive outburst that included a two-run homer from Andy Pages.

Sasakis fastball averaged 98-99 mph, was positioned with precision on the corners of the strike zone, and even induced a few swing-and-misses, issues he by no means did persistently whereas posting a 4.72 ERA in eight begins at first of the season.

He paired it with a trademark splitter that was additionally commanded with extra precision than at any level in his preliminary MLB stint.

Sasaki wanted solely 13 pitches to retire the aspect so as, punctuating his outing with a pair of strikeouts on 99-mph four-seamers. As he walked again to the dugout, he glanced towards his teammates with a stoic glare. Nearly all of them, together with Shohei Ohtani, applauded in approval.

Catastrophe did strike within the eighth, after the Dodgers prolonged their result in 4-1 on Teoscar Hernándezs RBI double within the prime half of the inning.

The bullpens one season-long stalwart, Alex Vesia, bumped into bother by giving up a single to Ketel Marte, a stroll to Geraldo Perdomo, and an RBI double to Corbin Carroll all with one out.

Exhausting-throwing rookie righty Edgardo Henriquez couldnt put out the hearth from there, giving up one run on a swinging bunt from Gabriel Moreno in entrance of the plate that spun away from catcher Ben Rortvedt, then one other when pinch-hitter Adrian Del Castillo stayed alive on a beneficiant two-strike name (which was little doubt impacted by Rortvedt dropping the pitch behind the plate) earlier than lifting a sacrifice fly to heart.

For the second straight night time, a late-game three-run lead had evaporated into skinny air.

This time, nonetheless, supervisor Dave Roberts had a brand new card to play. An evening after Kershaw volunteered to pitch in aid, the long run Corridor of Fame left-hander was summoned for the ninth inning.

Learn extra: Dodgers Dugout: Is that this the worst bullpen in L.A. Dodgers historical past?

In what was his first aid look for the reason that notorious fifth recreation of the 2019 NL Division Collection, Kershaw was efficient. He retired the aspect so as with the assistance of a diving catch from Tommy Edman in heart. He seemed snug within the type of high-leverage aid function the Dodgers would possibly want him to fill come October.

In extras, the remainder of the bullpen lastly held up. Blake Treinen inherited a bases-loaded jam with two out within the tenth, however obtained James McCann to fly out to shallow proper subject. Justin Wrobleski (one other pitcher who started this season as a starter) was handed a save scenario within the eleventh, after Edman singled residence a run together with his third hit of the night time, and retired all three batters he confronted.

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This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Instances.