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LA’s path to a World Series championship

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World Series - Los Angeles Dodgers v. New York Yankees - Game Five
Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images

A look back at the Dodgers’ 11 wins in 16 postseason games over 26 days

The 2024 season is now over, and the Dodgers had a long October in the best way possible, winning their eighth World Series in franchise history, and the second in five years. Let’s take a look at the entire postseason as a whole, similar to how we might do a week or month in review during the regular season.

Danger lurked in the first round against the Padres, down two games to one and playing on the road in Game 4, staring a potential third straight Division Series defeat in the face. But the Dodgers simply stopped giving up runs to San Diego, shutting them out in the final two games, with Game 4 giving proof of concept in utilizing a bullpen game of nearly all high-leverage relievers.

Dave Roberts winning those final two games against the Padres improved his career record when facing elimination to 13-7 (.650). Dating back to 2016 — Roberts’ first year managing the Dodgers — all other MLB teams are a combined 63-86 (.423) in such games.

The Dodgers did not face elimination again.

Zeroes continued against the Mets with shutouts in Games 1 and 3, the former tying major league postseason records with three srtraight shutouts and 33 consecutive scoreless innings. On offense, the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series walked more times (42) than any team in any postseason ever, and their 46 runs scored were the most by any National League team ever in a single postseason series.

The good vibes continued in the World Series, the Dodgers’ 12th all-time October meeting with the Yankees, winning the first three games. After dropping Game 4 at Yankee Stadium, the Dodgers trailed 5-0 in the fifth inning of Game 5, nearly becoming the first World Series team ever to win the first three games then have to play a Game 6.

Instead, the Dodgers staged two comebacks on Wednesday in New York, and the only thing at Dodger Stadium on November 1 was the endpoint of the championship parade in Los Angeles, the first for the team in 36 years.

Batter of the postseason

Though he didn’t win either of the series MVP awards, Mookie Betts was the Dodgers’ most consistent performer in October, leading the team in OPS (.951), slugging percentage (.565), home runs (four), doubles (five), runs scored (14), and RBI (16). The latter more than any previous single postseason for Betts, who is now the only active MLB position player with three championships under his belt.

After consecutive postseason disappointments, Betts was hitless in the first two games of the NLDS, running his October skid to 0-for-22 dating back to 2022. But after that he caught fire, including home runs in consecutive games against San Diego. Betts had four hits and drove in a career-best four runs in the NLCS Game 4 win over the Mets. Then in Game 5 of the World Series drove in the first run of the Dodgers’ improbable fifth-inning comeback, then drove in the championship-winning run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Pitcher of the postseason

Walker Buehler struggled mightily in the regular season after returning from his second Tommy John surgery, and then allowed six runs in the second inning against the Padres in Game 3 of the NLDS, a frame that was exacerbated by poor Dodgers defense behind him.

Buehler didn’t allow another run all October. He got through three more scoreless innings in that Game 3 start, then struck out six in four scoreless frames in his lone start against the Mets. Buehler’s fastball was at its best in years in Game 3 of the World Series, with six more strikeouts in five scoreless innings to give the Dodgers a commanding 3-0 lead.

Then he lived up to the Orel Hershiser comparisons by coming in two days later to close out Game 5, pitching a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts, concluding the Dodgers championship with a heroic pose on the mound.

Honorable mention goes to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who had a rocky first start in the NLDS, then closed out in the Padres in Game 5 and delivered two stingy outings against both the Mets and Yankees, cementing his status as a top-of-the-rotation starter.

Blake Treinen also deserves honorable mention for leading the Dodgers with 18 strikeouts in the postseason thanks to a heavy workload of 12⅓ innings, allowing only three runs. The veteran right-hander closed out the NLDS and NLCS with saves, and was the winner in Game 5 of the World Series with his seven outs of scoreless baseball, in his longest outing since 2018.

October results

11-5 record
95 runs scored (5.94 per game)
71 runs allowed (4.44 per game)
.630 pythagorean win percentage (10-6)

Signature moment

If you could only pick one single play to highlight the entire Dodgers postseason, it has to be Freddie Freeman hitting the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history to stun the Yankees in Game 1.

“Those are the kind of things, when you’re five years old with your two older brothers and you’re playing wiffle ball in the backyard, those are the scenarios you dream about, two outs, bases loaded in a World Series game,” Freeman said. “For it to actually happen and get a home run and walk it off to give us a 1-0 lead, that’s as good as it gets right there.”

It wasn’t just that Freeman had been playing through a badly-sprained right ankle for the previous month, and didn’t have an extra-base hit during the first two rounds. But he also suffered a broken rib prior to the start of the NLDS, which was learned about only after the Dodgers won the title.

Pitching plans

The Dodgers pitching totals were rather ordinary, with a 4.50 ERA and 5.08 FIP, but they managed to distribute their run allowance in just about the best way possible. Some of that was by necessity, working with only three starting pitchers. That made for four bullpen games, two which were heavily tilted toward rested high-leverage relievers (both wins) and two more with bulk appearances that led to losses.

There was also Jack Flaherty, but below that 7.36 ERA was also seven scoreless innings in NLCS Game 1, and allowing only two runs while pitching into the sixth

The Dodgers allowed 71 runs in 16 games all October, but 46 of those runs came in the five losses. They had a 2.25 ERA in their 11 wins, and the team never blew a lead after the sixth inning all postseason. That’s living right.

Records set

I might be missing a few, but here is a list of various postseason records set by the Dodgers this October:

  • Down 5 runs in Game 5 against the Yankees, the Dodgers staged the largest comeback in a clinching World Series game
  • Freddie Freeman homered in each of the first four games of the World Series, matching the most games homered in a single World Series. Dating back to 2021, Freeman homered in six straight Fall Classic games, the first ever to do that.
  • Freeman’s four straight games with a home run also set a Dodgers postseason record, one more game than Bill Madlock in the 1985 NLCS.
  • Tommy Edman tied a Dodgers record for any series with 11 hits against the Mets, and tied another Dodgers series record with 11 RBI in that series to earn NLCS MVP.
  • Edman’s RBI record lasted 10 days. Freeman knocked in 12 runs against the Yankees, matching Bobby Richardson in 1960 for the most RBI in a World Series, which earned Freeman the World Series MVP.
  • Max Muncy from Games 2-4 of the NLCS reached base in 12 consecutive plate appearances, an MLB record streak for a single postseason. Muncy’s 12 straight PA also matched Reggie Jackson’s stretch from 1977 into 1978.
  • Muncy had five hits, 11 walks, and was hit by a pitch against the Mets, reaching base 17 times during the NLCS. Shohei Ohtani also reached 17 times with his eight hits and nine walks, both setting Dodgers records for a single series. They combined for a .586 on-base percentage against the Mets.
  • Muncy’s home run in Game 3 of the NLCS gave him 13 career postseason home runs, tying Justin Turner and Corey Seager for most in Dodgers franchise history.
  • The Dodgers’ 46 runs against the Mets were the most scored by any National League team ever in a postseason series. LA’s 42 walks in the NLCS were the most in any postseason series ever. All six games of the NLCS were lopsided one way or another, and the average run differential of 6.67 was the highest of any postseason series in history.
  • Thirty-three consecutive scoreless innings by the Dodgers matched the 1966 Orioles for the longest in postseason history.
  • Three consecutive Dodgers shutouts also matched those Orioles as well as the 1905 Giants for the longest postseason streak.
  • Edman had a home run and stolen base in Game 2 against the Yankees (he also doubled), making him just the fifth Dodger to do both in a World Series game.

Welcome aboard

Anthony Banda pitched for seven major league teams before joining the Dodgers this season, and was one of their trusted high-leverage relievers in his first postseason, allowing just one run in eight innings, with 11 strikeouts.

Brent Honeywell pitched for three previous teams prior to joining the Dodgers, and made his first postseason this year. He was active for the final two rounds, putting in yeoman’s effort in soaking up innings in lopsided affairs. After his 4⅔ innings of mop-up duty in Game 5 of the NLCS, Max Muncy told Honeywell, “You just won us Game 6.”

Andy Pages established himself as a rookie in the Dodgers outfield this season, then saw action in eight of the team’s 16 postseason games, including a two-homer game during the NLCS.

Pages was one of four Dodgers to make their major league debut this season and also see action in October. Landon Knack struggled in his first bulk effort against the Mets, allowing a grand slam. But he also closed out the first bullpen game in Game 4 against the Padres, then allowed only one run in four innings to end his season with a positive result in Game 4 of the World Series.

Edgardo Henríquez debuted in the final week of the season, then pitched three times in the first two rounds. Ben Casparius debuted in August, then saw a more substantial role in October, allowing just one run in 6⅓ innings. He got the win in relief in the clinching Game 6 of the NLCS.

NLDS

NLCS

World Series

Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20 | Week 21 | Week 22 | Week 23 | Week 24 | Week 25 | Week 26 | Week 27 | Week 28

Up next

The next game that counts for the Dodgers comes on March 18, the first of a two-game set against the Cubs at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. The Dodgers’ first spring training game comes on February 20 at Camelback Ranch, also against the Cubs.