36 Consecutive Scoreless Innings? The Dodgers Bullpen Is Absolutely Insane and Nobody Is Prepared For It.

Alright, you gotta hear this, because what the Los Angeles Dodgers' bullpen is pulling off right now is just bonkers! We're talking about a team that's suddenly red hot, winning eight of their last ten games and leading the NL West. After an 11-3 smackdown against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, the Dodgers are pushing for a series win, and honestly, the way their relief corps is throwing, who's gonna stop 'em? Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to take the mound for them on Sunday, and if he can bring his postseason magic, this series is theirs.

The Bullpen Is Living in Another Dimension

Seriously, what are we even watching? The Dodgers bullpen just made history! On Saturday, after starter Roki Sasaki gave up three runs in the first inning but left with a 4-3 lead after five, the floodgates closed. Alex Vesia, Kyle Hurt, Tanner Scott, and Jonathan Hernandez each came in and spun a scoreless inning. This isn't just a good outing, folks. This extends their bullpen's ridiculous scoreless streak to an unbelievable 36 innings over 11 games. That's a modern era record for the team, blowing past their old mark of 33 innings from way back in 1998. Even Brewers manager Pat Murphy had to admit it. He said these guys are "good," throwing "on the edges," with "effective pitches," and "more than one pitch for a strike." He gave 'em credit, saying their "bullpen's really, really solid right now." You're darn right it is, Pat! This streak is already the longest since Cleveland's bullpen went 39 consecutive scoreless innings in 2017, and they're just chasing the all-time record of 44 by the Kansas City Athletics from 1966. This is elite-level stuff, plain and simple. Oh, and Teoscar Hernandez crushed a three-run homer and snagged six RBIs on Saturday, too. Pretty wild night.

Yamamoto's Consistency Quest: Ready for Brewers Round 2?

Now, let's talk about Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The dude is 3-4 with a 3.32 ERA, and honestly, he's pitched way better than that record shows. He's lost three of his last five starts, but in his last outing against San Diego, he only gave up one run and three hits over seven innings in a tough 1-0 loss. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts put it best, saying, "The last few haven't been great per his standards, but tonight I thought was a really good one." Roberts also pointed out, "The win-loss, you know you've got to score runs from him, too." Preach! Here's the kicker though: a wild seven of Yamamoto's 21 earned runs have come in the first inning this season. And guess what? The Brewers scored three runs in the first in both games of this series! He's facing Brandon Sproat (1-2, 5.75 ERA) for the Brewers, who's making his first career start against the Dodgers. Yamamoto, on the other hand, absolutely dominated Milwaukee last season in Game 2 of the NLCS, throwing a complete game three-hitter in a 5-1 victory. He gave up a leadoff homer to Jackson Chourio, then locked it down, striking out seven and walking one over 111 pitches. Talk about a redemption storyline! The Brewers are hot too, leading the NL Central and going 12-3 over their last 15 games. They did walk 11 batters on Saturday, though, including Freddie Freeman four times, which is their most since 2016. On the Dodgers' side, Shohei Ohtani is riding a nine-game hitting streak, batting .457 with two homers, four doubles, a triple, and 12 RBIs in that stretch. Yamamoto's gotta bring that NLCS fire and dodge that first-inning curse against a team that swept them in last year's NLCS. Sunday's finale isn't just another game, it's a statement for Yamamoto and a chance for the Dodgers to keep this ridiculous momentum rolling! Let's go!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.