TL;DR - Scouting Report
The Dodgers reflect on their toughest opponent, the Padres, during their 2024 World Series run. From bullpen heroics to unmatched focus, they reveal how they overcame the odds to secure their championship.
Start the Rally: Tweet This Now!The Dodgers spoke their truth about their run to the 2024 World Series and becoming baseball’s World Champions on an episode of Bleacher Report’s On Base with Mookie Betts.
Mookie hosted Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Kike Hernandez, Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edman, Gavin Lux, Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips, Max Muncy, Chris Taylor, Brent Honeywell, Daniel Hudson to reminisce on the storied playoff run.
They began by agreeing that the Padres were the most talented team they played all season.
“That was the best team we played all year. “They beat the s*** out of us.”
Daniel Hudson
“We go down two to one, and then we had to face (Dylan) Cease on short rest. In my head I’m like ‘all right, so I don’t know how we’re going to beat them,’ especially with them smelling blood like this. In their place. In a bullpen game. The day, from my perspective looked like a regular season day.”
Mookie Betts
The “we don’t give a f***” attitude went deeper than just Kike’s quote on live TV. Turns out the team felt the same way about its starting rotation in hostile territory.
“The way the roster was constructed for the playoffs, we had Walker (Buehler), we had Jack (Flaherty) and we had (Yoshinobu) Yama (Yamamoto). Those were our starters. To get through a series you probably need at least four (starting pitchers), right? In my opinion, if the pen’s got to be number four, f*** it man, we roll. Like that’s what we’ve got to do to get the job done, and every one of them dudes down there were good with that.”
Daniel Hudson
“Nobody was complaining about it. We’ll complain about it in freaking August.”
Daniel Hudson
The Dodgers were ready to roll as Hudson tells the story. They were fresh, eager and hungry to take it to this Padres team that had the Dodgers with their backs against the wall.
“Watching (Ryan) Brasier warming up, we just had each others’ backs. We were ready to freaking go from pitch one.”
Daniel Hudson
Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior told Hudson that he could follow Brasier, or he could finish the game. He could slot in anywhere from inning two to nine.
The original plan was for Evan Phillips to take care of seven outs in the ballgame.
“That game, I had a five-run lead, and with how efficient I was, Doc said ‘hey, just ride it out.’ So I was going to keep on going and then we tacked on a few runs.”
Evan Phillips
“I felt like we were so dialed in that series. I don’t want to say it was personal, but there was some aspect about it.
Evan Phillips
Once the topic of it being personal came about, Mookie lit up, adding that “they really kicked our a** all year for sure.” Phillips added that “there was an added level we all tapped into a little bit, each guy top to bottom on the whole roster.”
See the whole episode below on YouTube:
Your Turn: If the Dodgers and Padres played their series over, who wins in a best-of-seven series, and why? Tell us below in the comments!
