LOS ANGELES -- While manager Dave Roberts may not be quite ready to officially rename Edwin Díaz his closer, his actions spoke louder than his words in the National League Division Series. In back-to-back save situations in Games 3 and 4, Roberts handed the ball to Díaz, who converted both opportunities.
"The last two nights, that's the reason why we acquired a guy like Edwin Díaz," Roberts said after the Dodgers won the NLDS in four games. "He's one of the great closers in the game. For him to be pitching his best right now, that's what you hope for, and I give him a lot of credit."
Said Díaz, that same night: "I think that was the most important thing for me, the team trusts me. They give me the ball every single day. … That's why I came here to win games and close games like this one. So I'm really happy right now."
To read between the lines, consider Díaz penciled in for future ninth innings -- or the highest-leverage situations, regardless of when in the game they arise. In the postseason, nothing is written in ink.
Díaz's successful return to the closer role answers a key question for the Dodgers as they prepare for a rematch with the Brewers in the NL Championship Series, which begins on Sunday at American Family Field. Roberts has several arms that he trusts to close out games, but being able to work backward from Díaz could further stabilize a bullpen with a strong leverage mix.
Left-hander Tanner Scott (25 saves in regular season) and right-hander Evan Phillips (one save) may be the most likely relievers to get the ball in a save situation other than Díaz. Scott surrendered a two-run homer in NLDS Game 1 but recorded holds in the eighth innings of Games 3 and 4. Phillips relieved Scott to convert the save in Game 1.
Both Scott and Phillips have the experience to be a closer, but if Díaz is pitching the ninth, then they can be deployed in more favorable lanes elsewhere in the game.
That trickles down to the Dodgers' other top leverage arms, including left-hander Alex Vesia and right-hander Edgardo Henriquez. Vesia and Henriquez could also be trusted with save opportunities, but their greatest value comes in left-on-left and right-on-right matchups, respectively.
For Vesia, the makeup of this year's 'pen is reminiscent of the "Bullpen Dawgs" who played a key role for the 2024 championship team.
"I think Dave's got a lot of weapons," Vesia said.
The numerous leverage options take some pressure off Roki Sasaki, who stepped into the closer role last postseason. Sasaki spent this entire season as a starter before being sidelined by a blister on his right hand in August, and since returning from the IL, he has made four relief appearances (one in the postseason). All have been clean innings, though, so he hasn't quite been thrown into the fire like he was last year.
With each individual arm, Roberts can find the right lanes to optimize matchups in leverage. That process is simpler when he's not necessarily reserving any of them for the ninth inning -- even Díaz.
"I just think that we’re in a really good spot with the 'pen," Roberts said. "And it starts with having the trust of a couple guys at the back end."