Dodgers Make Insane Postseason History With Latest Dominant Performance

Valentina Martinez | 2 Hours Ago

Oct 16, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ben Casparius (78) reacts with catcher Austin Barnes (15) against the New York Mets after the ninth inning during game three of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

The Dodgers are the first team in MLB history to have four straight wins in the regular season or postseason come via shutout, earning three of those wins by a margin of eight-plus runs, per OptaSTATS.

The @Dodgers' last 4 wins have been by scores of 8-0, 2-0, 9-0 and 8-0.

They're the first team in MLB history (reg or post) to have 4 straight wins in a season come via shutout with 3 of them by a margin of 8+ runs.

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) October 17, 2024

The Dodgers' last four victories have been by scores of 8-0, 2-0, 9-0, and 8-0. The Los Angeles pitching staff as well as the star-studded lineup is responsible for this rare feat.

The Dodgers are in the process of shedding their tattered postseason reputation as the team is just two games away from advancing to the World Series.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke on the four shutout games from his pitching staff.

"I think with the postseason there's off days," Roberts said. "So I think you have a chance to deploy guys you want more. It's more sense of urgency, versus in the regular season where sometimes you've got to kind of lose the battle to win the war type thing. And that's how I manage a lot over the course of 162."

Roberts also gave credit to Will Smith for his job behind the plate.

"But to their credit, I think Will is doing a fantastic job just sharpening every part of it — whether it's catching the baseball, whether it's the right pitch at the right time, game-calling with urgency," Roberts added.

Smith hasn't done well in his at-bats, but he's done a phenomenal job handling the Los Angeles pitching staff in October. He deserves massive credit for his work behind the plate.

"My preparation doesn't really change. I just go one pitch at a time with those guys," Smith said. "But they've been nails. They've been really good just going out and executing, putting guys away and putting up zeros. They're doing really well right now. Just trying to keep them going."

Smith's teammates are hopeful his bat will eventually come around, but his command of the pitching staff shouldn't be forgotten.

Roberts credited Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior with also contributing to the four shutout games in the last five matchups.

"And to the pitchers' credit and Mark Prior, they're just really locking in and they're doing a fantastic job," Roberts said. "I think it's all a compilation of that."

The Dodgers enter Game 4 with a 2-1 lead over the Mets. The Dodgers have a chance to win another contest at Citi Field Thursday.

Two notable players that won't be on the field include Freddie Freeman and Gavin Lux. However, they are likely to return for Game 5.

Read more: Why Isn’t Freddie Freeman Playing for the Dodgers vs the Mets in NLCS Game 4?