Bullpen's playoff blueprint emerges

Starters Glasnow, Sasaki embrace all-hands-on-deck postseason mentality with roles in which to thrive.

- BY KEVIN BAXTER

The Dodgers spent more than $125 million on their bullpen last winter. But when they needed relief late in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday, they turned to a couple of starters who spent much of the season on the injury list.

And it worked out — though just barely — with Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki combining for eight of the final nine outs in a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Alex Vesia got the other out, retiring pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa on a fly ball to center with the bases loaded to end the eighth.

Sasaki then came on to close it out in the ninth, getting Bryson Stott, representing the tying run, to pop up in foul territory behind third base to end the game.

"What Glas did tonight, it’s not easy to do. And so for him to give us the innings he gave us tonight was huge," third baseman Max Muncy said.

The four pitchers the Dodgers used all spent time away from the mound this season.