PHOENIX — The Los Angeles Dodgers, who are eagerly awaiting to see who they’ll be playing in the wild-card round beginning Tuesday, Sept. 30 at Dodger Stadium, have already identified their biggest obstacle without looking at a single page of their detailed scouting reports:
Simply, making sure their players keep a straight face when they take the field.
Really.
It may sound silly, but the challenge may be bigger than you can imagine.
Come on, you really think the Dodgers can possibly take this upcoming best-of-three wild card series seriously?
Look at the two teams they may be facing, after a third one was eliminated Friday:
The New York Mets (82-78)
They are 37-54 since June 12, losing 13 of their 19 games in September, and dropping another one Friday night, 6-2, to the Miami Marlins.
“We put ourselves in this position,’’ Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters. “We’ve just to win the next two and see what happens, but we did it to ourselves.’’
The Cincinnati Reds (82-78)
Yep, the same dudes who were just swept by the lowly Athletics in Sacramento two weeks ago, and dropped two of three at home to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who happen to have the second-worst road record in baseball. They also are in the driver’s seat after their 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, moving into a tie with the Mets but owning the tie-breaker.
“We’re like cockroaches man,’’ Reds infielder Gavin Lux said on the Reds’ broadcast afer the game. “You can’t kill us.’’
Eliminated: The Arizona Diamondbacks (80-80)
These guys should get a playoff share from the Seattle Mariners for helping them win the AL West while sinking their own chances. The D-backs were officially eliminated Friday after their 7-4 loss to the San Diego Padres, but they can’t help but wonder if they would have run away with the race if they didn’t gift-wrap third baseman Eugenio Suarez and first baseman Josh Naylor to Seattle, while dumping ace Merrill Kelly.
“It was a series of games, a series of missed opportunities throughout the course of the year that put us in this situation,’’ Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters before the game, “and we have to accept that. We’ve got to own that. We’ve got to wear it.’’
Looking ahead
The Dodgers will publicly tell you they really don’t care who they’re facing, but if they had their druthers, surely they would prefer the Mets.
This is a team that not only has self-destructed, its pitching staff is also in tatters. The Mets had to rely on three rookies who were called up to make their major-league debuts this past month, and even if they happen to survive to Sunday, they have no idea who would even pitch Game 162, let alone in a playoff series.
The Reds, meanwhile, led by future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona, may have the fourth-worst offense in the National League – scoring three or fewer runs in their last five games – but they have an awfully talented starting rotation. If they make it, they are lined up to have ace Hunter Greene (7-4, 2.76 ERA) pitch in Game 1, Brady Singer (14-11, 3.95 ERA) in Game 2 and Nick Lodolo (9-8, 3.30 ERA) for a potential Game 3.
“I don’t think anyone would want to play us if we sneak in there, not with our pitching,’’ Lux told USA TODAY Sports last month. “We’re a young team with nothing to lose. We can match up with anyone.’’
Thanks to this mildest of wild-card races, it looks like we’re about to find out.
Follow Nightengale on X: @BNightengale
