"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,"
""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."
The Dodgers prioritize winning the World Series and are converting an unexpected October hurdle into an advantage while pursuing back-to-back championships. Conventional wisdom favors a bye because it preserves pitching, but a healthy, deep starting rotation mitigates that cost. A 10-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 puts the Dodgers one victory away from advancing and possibly facing the Philadelphia Phillies in a marquee National League matchup. Historical results show all teams that won Game 1 in the best-of-three wild-card format have taken the series. The Reds used Hunter Greene in Game 1; the Dodgers have Yoshinobu Yamamoto available for Game 2.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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