The Los Angeles Dodgers broke out a new bullpen mix on Wednesday, and it helped them move within one game of another National League West title.
Clayton Kershaw, Roki Sasaki and Jason Wrobleski each threw a scoreless inning in relief as the Dodgers earned a 5-4, 11-inning victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Los Angeles can clinch its 12th NL West title in 13 seasons in the series finale at Phoenix on Thursday afternoon.
Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-8, 2.58 ERA) will start the potential clincher for the Dodgers. The D-backs, who had been scheduled to start Zac Gallen on regular rest, instead will go with a bullpen game.
Left-hander Jalen Beeks (5-2, 3.67 ERA) will be the D-backs' opener, while right-hander Nabil Crismatt (3-0, 2.61 ERA) will fill the bulk relief role.
The Dodgers (89-69) own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Padres (87-72), so Los Angeles needs just one more win or one San Diego loss to seal the division crown.
The D-backs (80-78) sit one game behind the New York Mets (81-77) for the final NL wild-card spot with four games to play. Cincinnati (80-78) owns the tiebreaker over both and also would win a three-team tiebreaker.
Gallen was pushed back to Friday, when the D-backs open a three-game road series against the Padres.
"I just like to be anywhere this time of the year where we are considered for the postseason," said Arizona manager Torey Lovullo, whose team was eliminated on the last day of the regular season in 2024 after clinching a playoff berth on the next-to-last day in 2023.
"Pressure is real. Stress is real. Anxiety is real. If we can just block that out and play our game, I'm going to be very satisfied. If we're hunting, yeah, I don't mind hunting. I've never hunted in my life, but we have to run some people down. I don't mind that. We need some help. I don't like that."
The Dodgers finish their season with a three-game series in Seattle this weekend. The Mariners have clinched the American League West title, but they are still battling to secure a first-round playoff bye.
Kershaw, who might start the final game of the regular season on Sunday, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth in a 4-4 game on Wednesday.
"It's an adrenaline rush for sure," said Kershaw, whose last relief appearance came in the final game of the 2019 season so he could get work before the postseason.
"Relieving is a different animal altogether. You kind of have to figure out how to maintain your heartbeat and get going. It is a lot of fun, and it is fun to have success out there. I'm glad I got to help in a situation in a big spot."
Sasaki, activated from the injured list before the game, threw a 1-2-3 seventh inning, and his four-seam fastball averaged 99.2 mph. He will be used out of the bullpen going forward, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Wrobleski threw a perfect bottom of the 11th for his second save, closing a win one night after teammate Tanner Scott took his major-league-leading 10th blown save of the season as the Dodgers lost 5-4 to Arizona.
Yamamoto is on his best run of the season, as he is 1-0 with a 1.76 ERA in his past six starts. He has given up three hits -- one apiece in each of his past three outings -- and two runs while striking out 27 in his past 21 innings.
He is 2-1 with a 2.30 ERA in five career starts against the D-backs, 0-1 with a 2.48 ERA in three starts this season. Corbin Carroll is 1-for-14 against him.
Crismatt was bumped from the rotation last week when the D-backs opted to go to a four-man group for the series against the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies around two off days last week. In his most recent start, he threw five shutout innings against the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 14, and then he tossed one scoreless inning in relief against Philadelphia on Sunday.
In 12 career appearances against the Dodgers, all in relief in 2021 and '22, Crismatt is 1-0 with a 3.71 ERA.
--Field Level Media
