MLB
Edwin Díaz earns back Dodgers’ late-inning trust before NLCS
Consecutive saves against Atlanta give Los Angeles another closing option for the Brewers series.
Edwin Díaz heads into the National League Championship Series with a stronger claim on the Dodgers’ ninth inning after saving the final two games of their division-series win over Atlanta.
Díaz needed eight pitches to finish the 4–1 clincher in Game 4, DodgersBeat reported. His consecutive saves followed a scoreless sixth inning in Game 2.
The postseason work came after an uneven, injury-interrupted regular season. Díaz finished with an 8.68 ERA over 18⅔ innings, then closed the schedule with five scoreless appearances, according to Sports Illustrated.
Manager Dave Roberts’ recent decisions show renewed trust, though MLB.com’s report stopped short of describing Díaz as a formally appointed, exclusive closer.
That distinction matters for the Brewers matchup. A dependable Díaz allows Roberts to use other relievers earlier when a difficult pocket of hitters arrives, while retaining flexibility if the ninth inning calls for a different matchup.
The two saves cannot erase the regular-season sample. They do show that Roberts was willing to give Díaz the ball with advancement at stake.
