Roundtable: What Do the Dodgers need to do to get back in the World Series?

The Dodgers head home for Game 3 facing a 2-0 deficit and could put themselves on the brink if they don’t show up Friday night. How does Los Angeles battle their way back into the series? The Full Press Coverage staff gives their thoughts on the Dodgers potentially dire situation.

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Ryan Adverderada (@ryanadverderada):

The Los Angeles Dodgers should have arrived back on the west coast with a game in hand. A shaky bullpen cost them game two in Boston. If you want to play devil’s advocate, the bullpen cost Los Angeles the first game as well. The Dodgers instead find themselves I danger of being swept at Chavez Ravine.

Los Angeles needs to find stability in the bullpen and a way to get the ball to closer Kenley Jansen. It is the same issue which caused problems last postseason and showed up again during this past regular season. On paper, the Dodgers boast a bevy of talented arms such as Pedro Baez, Kenta Maeda, Jose Urias, and Ryan Madson. However, the group has struggled to get the ball to Jansen to close out games this postseason. If the Dodgers can figure out how to go from innings six through eight, Los Angeles will find their way back into this series.

Andrew Baird (@andrewbaird0):

The Los Angeles Dodgers need to win all of their home games to get back in the series as a whole. They are down two games to none, and they need the home wins; they aren’t out of it yet, but their chances are slim. Something they can do to win those games is put the Red Sox in weird situations. Don’t react to them, make them react to you. Be aggressive on the base paths, and play for contact could help them come back in this World Series.

Dodgers Hitting – World Series
	Play	Play	Play	Play	Play	Play	Play	Play	Play	Play	Play	Play
Name	G	AB ▼	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Justin Turner	2	9	1	3	0	0	0	3	.333	.333	.333	.667
Matt Kemp	2	7	1	1	1	2	0	2	.143	.125	.571	.696
Manny Machado	2	7	1	2	0	3	0	0	.286	.250	.286	.536
Enrique Hernandez	2	6	0	0	0	0	0	3	.000	.000	.000	.000
Yasiel Puig	2	6	0	1	0	1	1	1	.167	.286	.167	.452
David Freese	2	5	1	3	0	0	1	1	.600	.667	.600	1.267
Chris Taylor	2	5	0	0	0	0	1	3	.000	.167	.000	.167
Austin Barnes	2	4	0	0	0	0	0	2	.000	.000	.000	.000
Brian Dozier	2	4	1	0	0	0	2	1	.000	.333	.000	.333
Cody Bellinger	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000
Max Muncy	2	3	1	1	0	0	0	2	.333	.333	.333	.667
Joc Pederson	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Yasmani Grandal	2	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	.000	.500	.000	.500
Totals	37	63	6	11	1	6	6	20	.175	.239	.222	.462

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/26/2018.

Tyler Kading (@bearcub712):

I know this goes without saying, but quite frankly, the Dodgers need to get better. Dave Roberts is putting on a clinic on how not to manage so far in the series, and the bats have gone down without a whimper.

The Dodgers were never going to outslug the Red Sox. We knew this. They weren’t winning if it became a shootout. They needed their pitching to suppress Boston’s lineup. So far, they’ve been rendered incapable of doing that. Walker Buehler and Rich Hill are going to have to pitch to their full capabilities for the Dodgers to have a chance.

No team has ever come back from 3-0 down in the World Series, so today’s game is a must for Los Angeles. Walker Buehler can win the Dodgers this game, but whether or not he will is the question. Even if he were to spin a quality start, the bats need to heat up a bit and damage the most susceptible starter Boston has, Rick Porcello.

In all likelihood, L.A. needs the next two games. If they can do that, they have a very good shot of winning it all. However, if they can’t, this series is over. Boston is too good to blow a 3-1 lead, despite how poetic it may be.

Ian Glendon (@iglen31)

Quite simply, the Dodgers need to do a better job of shutting down the Red Sox hitters with two outs and more specifically, two strikes. However, that is easier said than done. The Red Sox have feasted with two outs in these playoffs, not just against the Dodgers in the World Series. They came into Game 2 having scored 17 of their 34 runs with two outs. They then added three more to that total on Wednesday in Game 2. If the Dodgers can start ending more innings instead of giving the Red Sox second-chance opportunities, then they may have a fighter’s chance to take two of three in Los Angeles.

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