The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the season with high expectations. They had the superstars, were riding high as reigning championship win, and were hoping to break free from the school of thought—no team can win back-to-back. Although the Yankees did manage to do that before! However, their bullpen, which was once the envy of others, has been far from reliable.
And at the center of all that disappointment has been none other than Tanner Scott. And well, it seems like his four-year, $72 million contract didn’t motivate him to do better, but rather added a little more pressure. He has pitched 58 games for LA this season, logging 54.1 innings with a 4.64 ERA and nine blown saves. That is more than his previous two seasons combined.
The Dodgers had signed Scott with hopes that he would be a dominant late-inning weapon alongside Clayton Kershaw and closer Kenley Jansen. But the result has been a bust. After he returned from the IL, he posted two scoreless outings, only to give up a blown save against the Arizona Diamondbacks. A walk-off homer to Baltimore, and then a walk-off grand slam to the Giants. Ouch. And now, he is reflecting and accepting the turbulent season he had had.
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Scott admitted that, “I haven’t performed to my standard and the team’s standard. I signed here and I felt good. But the year has been up and down, up and down. You never want that to happen. You always want to ride the slow curve going up, not the bumpier road. It’s been a bumpy road this year,” said Tanner Scott. However, even though he is coming clean, he has not been all bad for Shohei Ohtani and Co.
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For example, Scott has not allowed a run in his last four appearances and earned a save against the Giants in Kershaw’s final home start of the regular season. Now, if he maintains this form, he could be the stable force for the bullpen that has struggled a lot this season. They collectively posted a 4.19 ERA and 1.340 WHIP, ranking 19th in MLB.
Meanwhile, the struggles have left the Dodgers exposed, especially against the Phillies. They have proven deadly in the late stages of the game. In fact, John Clark from NBC Sports noted that the Phillies lead the majors with 278 runs scored in the seventh inning or later. Analysts like Alec MacNichol mentioned that nobody wants to face the Philadelphia Phillies in these high-leverage moments. Dave Roberts, too, admitted how tough it is to get a repeat championship recently. Well, everyone is coming clean, and so did Clayton Kerhsaw.
Dodgers ace opens up about when he realized 2025 would be his final season!
After nearly two decades on the mound, Clayton Kershaw is calling it off. The veteran ace revealed on Thursday that 2025 will be his final MLB season. And whilst many may think it’s an abrupt decision, it’s not. It’s something he has contemplated over a period of time. “Usually, we wait to the offseason to kind of make a final call, but I think almost going into the season, we kind of knew that this was going to be it. So I didn’t want to say anything in case I changed my mind. But over the course of the season, just how grateful I am to have been healthy, to be out on the mound and be able to pitch, I think it just made it obvious that this was a good sending-off point. And it is. I’ve had the best time this year. It’s been a blast.”
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And honestly, what a great career it has been for the Dodgers star. Since his debut in 2008, he has been wearing Dodger blue. And he has gone through every up and down with the team. He clinched three Cy Young Awards, an MVP, and even World Series rings, a triple crown, and a Gold Glove. This list, for sure, makes him worthy to sit among the greats later down the stretch in the Hall of Fame.
Now, even in a season that was interrupted by his surgery, he has been great. In 20 starts since May, he has a 3.53 ERA across 102 innings, with 10 wins. That’s second only to his teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto. This year, he achieved a different milestone—3000 strikeouts—and that’s a no-brainer. Friday night, fans will get to witness his final home start against the Giants, their long-time rivals. In fact recently Kershaw was trolled too taking the rivalry to another level. It will be more than a game; it will be the closing chapter of a star who spent his entire career in Los Angeles. He is a legend in the city.