The Los Angeles Dodgers opened the MLB postseason with a win in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Reds , but the Dodgers bullpen nearly turned a blowout into disaster . For most of the night, Los Angeles dominated. Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez carried the offense while Blake Snell controlled the strike zone . A 10-2 lead after seven innings looked secure. Instead, the Dodgers bullpen made fans sweat in a game that never should have been close .

According to ESPN Research, Dodgers relievers needed 59 pitches in the eighth inning alone. That total set an unwanted record , the most in a single playoff inning since at least 1988. What should have been a comfortable win became another reminder that the Dodgers bullpen remains a glaring weakness . Snell’s strong

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