"Up until last October, the Dodgers had a reputation as postseason failures. It wasn't an unwarranted distinction. In each of the previous two seasons, the team had been upset in the National League Division Series by lesser opponents in the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks. The fall before that, their title defense flamed out against the underdog Atlanta Braves in the NL Championship Series. Yes, they won a World Series in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season."
"After their memorable run to a championship last year, the team has gotten the monkey of its full-season title drought off its back. And while expectations are still high, with the Dodgers and their record-setting $400-million roster set to begin the playoffs with a best-of-three wild-card round starting Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, the questions about past October disappointments have dissipated."
""You would think," veteran third baseman Max Muncy said. "But the pressure's always going to be there. Especially when you're this team, when you're the Los Angeles Dodgers, there's a lot of expectations around you. There's a lot of pressure.""
Pressure from past postseason failures motivated a strong playoff push last year. The Dodgers endured upsets in recent postseasons and a failed title defense before winning the full-season championship, leaving lingering urgency. Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged a collective sour taste from early exits and sensed an edge. After last year's championship the team relieved its full-season title drought, but expectations remain high. The Dodgers entered the playoffs with a record-setting $400-million roster facing a best-of-three wild-card against the Cincinnati Reds. Despite winning the NL West, an underwhelming regular season left them without a top-two seed, and players still feel playoff pressure.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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