Vesia's emotional return to Toronto highlights Dodgers' bullpen surge

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TORONTO -- Whether it's a Cactus League exhibition in February or a postseason game in October, Alex Vesia always wears his heart on his sleeve, letting his emotions flow freely when he takes the mound.

On Tuesday night, Vesia had one of his typical exuberant reactions on the mound after escaping a no-outs, bases-loaded jam without allowing a run, stranding two runners inherited from Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the seventh inning of the Dodgers' 4-1 win over the Blue Jays. It was a pivotal moment in an intense contest, but for Vesia, there were more complex emotions at play than those that accompany the adrenaline of a high-leverage outing.

Last October, Vesia and his wife, Kayla, suffered a heartbreaking loss when their newborn daughter, Sterling Sol, passed away. Vesia was away from the Dodgers for the entire World Series, tending to his family while his team battled for another championship, his fellow relievers honoring him by wearing his No. 51 on their caps.

The last few days, when the Dodgers took two of three from the Blue Jays in a rematch of the World Series, evoked memories of the final stage of the back-to-back championship run. That stirred up some mixed emotions for Vesia, who would have played a big role at Rogers Centre had things played out differently last October.

"The past two days have been hard," Vesia said Tuesday night. "It's nice, though, to have my wife in the stands. She was right behind the dugout tonight. I definitely was looking at her, especially after the outing.

"But honestly, during it, that was awesome. I really -- the adrenaline, the crowd, I feed off that. It was definitely a great outing. One pitch at a time. That was a great, great win all in all."

When Vesia spoke publicly about the loss of his daughter for the first time, he described baseball as being an important part of his healing process. During the offseason, preparing for Spring Training gave him something to work toward. Once he arrived at camp, being around his teammates -- whom he likened to brothers -- helped him keep moving forward.

Among a tight-knit Dodgers roster, the bullpen is a family of its own. And talking about the success that he and his fellow relievers have enjoyed early on in the season brought a smile to Vesia's face after his clutch outing on Tuesday night.

Last season, the Dodgers' bullpen had a 4.27 ERA and 27 blown saves, tied for the seventh-most in the Majors. Through 12 games this season, L.A. relievers have posted a 3.21 ERA and have only given up one late lead, in Wednesday's finale in Toronto.

The offseason addition of closer Edwin Díaz has made a difference, allowing manager Dave Roberts to deploy his relievers in favorable matchups in the bridge to the ninth inning. Having Díaz anchoring the 'pen is one source of confidence, and another has come from a group mentality of believing that the relief corps is better than how they performed last year.

"It's a standard that we set for ourselves, and this year, I think we've hit the ground running with some good ones," Vesia said. "And you can see the confidence. Having Díaz for the ninth, like, it's a lock."

Having Vesia back has been just as important for the Dodgers. Last World Series, the best arm to call on in a no-outs, bases-loaded situation like Tuesday's would have been unclear. But this week, there was no question about it.

"It was a big spot. I trust him," Roberts said. "And it’s nice to have guys you can trust to put out fires and preserve a good outing by Yoshinobu.”