1 problem Dodgers must address before MLB playoffs

The Los Angeles Dodgers have enough star power to overwhelm opponents through October. Their greatest postseason threat, however, may emerge after those stars have done their jobs. Unless the Dodgers find dependable relievers to cover the seventh and eighth innings, a narrow lead may never reach Tanner Scott.

The Dodgers hardly resemble a team in crisis. They enter Saturday at 78-51 with a nine-game NL West lead and 33 games remaining. Los Angeles holds the National League’s second seed, is riding a four-game winning streak, and owns a plus-146 run differential. A 7-3 record over their previous 10 games leaves the Dodgers just two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL’s top seed. Even so, the club’s success has masked a bullpen moving in the wrong direction.

Dodgers relievers produced a 3.19 ERA through May 31, seventh in MLB. Since June 1, that figure has climbed to 4.70, ranking 24th. Their 4.78 walks per nine innings during that stretch rank last. The bullpen also carried a 4.66 ERA across 31 games beginning July 10.

Scott is not the problem. The left-hander has recorded a 2.28 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 18 saves, giving the club a trustworthy closer. Edwin Diaz cannot automatically reclaim that role or inherit another high-leverage assignment. He owns an 11.85 ERA, 2.56 WHIP, and four blown saves in 13 2/3 innings pitched.

Diaz also walked 10 batters while striking out 19 before returning to the injured list with neck inflammation. He previously underwent elbow surgery, and his return remains uncertain. Edgardo Henriquez, Jack Dreyer, Alex Vesia, and Brock Stewart offer intriguing alternatives, but none has established himself as the unquestioned bridge to Scott.

Los Angeles received a postseason preview vs. the Brewers on August 14. The Dodgers carried a 4-2 lead into the late innings before Diaz allowed four consecutive singles and three runs. Vesia surrendered the go-ahead hit in a 5-4 loss. One collapse does not define a bullpen, but the larger trends make that sequence difficult to dismiss.

The Dodgers must spend September identifying roles instead of distributing them based on reputation. Scott should remain in the ninth. Henriquez and Stewart deserve auditions against difficult right-handed pockets, while Dreyer and Vesia should work according to matchups. Diaz, Evan Phillips, and Blake Treinen must prove their health and command in lower-pressure situations before receiving leverage work.

Preparing Emmet Sheehan for a multi-inning relief role would provide another safeguard. A potential Shohei Ohtani pitching return could ease the staff’s workload, but the Dodgers cannot treat it as guaranteed. The fractured hand of Andy Pages and the health of the rotation both require attention, but clearer solutions exist for each. The Dodgers’ October fate could depend on the six outs that separate their starters from Scott.