Last year, the Los Angeles Dodgers were one game away from winning the World Series. It was a heartbreaking series, but I was convinced the team would come back and seek revenge against the Houston Astros. Then April happened.
Corey Seager was undergoing Tommy John surgery, Justin Turner was out with a strained right groin muscle and Kenley Jansen’s velocity was nowhere to be found. The team was also off to a 12-16 start. It seemed like the Dodgers reign on the NL West for the last five years was finally going to come to an end, but they exceeded expectations. In a tie breaker game Monday afternoon the Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-2 to clinch the NL West.
Fans cried that it was all over in April, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had a plan all along, even if it took an extra regular season game.
“When it’s all said and done, the Dodgers will be at the top of the division,” Roberts said during their rough patch.
The last week has been a rollercoaster, and the playoffs haven’t even begun. The Dodgers went from being out of the postseason, to earning the second wild card spot and taking over the division in a matter of days. The tiebreaker game almost gave me as much anxiety as the five-hour, 17-minute game 5 the Dodgers played against the Astros in the World Series. The stakes were not as grave and the Dodgers went up early, but after such a disappointing season, just making the playoffs was all I wanted anymore.
It took all 163 games to get to this point, but the long and winding road doesn’t necessarily have to end with a championship. Last year the expectations were high, but now I’m just happy the team won the division and gets to play a little longer.
I don’t expect the Dodgers to make it to the World Series, I just want some fun playoff moments. Last year was devastating, and while things may go the Dodgers’ way again this year, there just isn’t enough pop to take it all the way. The pitching has been average, the offense is inconsistent and it just doesn’t feel like the Dodgers’ time. Maybe the Dodgers will peak at the right moment, but for now I’m going to enjoy a carefree and relaxing October.