Can the Dodgers’ bullpen collapse unravel their entire playoff dreams?

So here we are again — bidding farewell to any hopes of a first-round playoff bye and begrudgingly greeting the ever-troubled Dodger bullpen. It’s like watching a rerun of the 2025 season condensed into a frantic three-hour spectacle filled with cheers that spiral into gut-wrenching frustration, only to fade into weary resignation. The Dodgers, gasping for air and desperate for a clean sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies this week, needed that perfect run to keep their postseason bye dreams alive. But after just one game, their beleaguered bullpen already squeezed the life out of that hope.

What unfolded was heartbreakingly predictable. Despite holding a two-run lead, the bullpen’s repeated collapses — giving up home runs, squandering comebacks, and finally succumbing to a nerve-wracking 10th inning double steal — handed the Phillies a 6-5 victory and crushed the Dodgers’ chance at a playoff breather. It was a replay of all-too-familiar scenes: the Phillies celebrating their clinch at Dodger Stadium while the Dodgers stood silent, the clubhouse steeped in disappointment. Max Muncy’s attempt to shield the bullpen’s year-round struggles did little to mask the reality: this isn’t a staff built for championships, nor does it sound like one capable of surviving October’s heat. The trade deadline came and went, and the front office’s inertia left a bullpen that’s frayed, overused, and frankly overwhelmed — setting the stage for what feels like an organizational unraveling.

With 12 games left and down by 5 ½ in the standings, the Dodgers face an uphill battle to even clinch the West, let alone earn that coveted second-best National League record. Instead of savoring a week off to recharge, they’re bracing for a hazardous three-game wild card series – either on home turf or as the road underdog. Add to that a star catcher nursing injuries and rotation questions swirling, and the team’s road to postseason success looks perilous. Freddie Freeman’s words echo the obvious desire for a bye, but the debate among analysts about its true value only muddies the waters — yet, there’s no denying the Dodgers desperately need that respite to regroup and heal.

Manager Dave Roberts sidesteps the bye issue, focusing solely on winning what remains – but after Monday night’s bullpen implosion, many fans and insiders are left wondering if the proverbial ship has sailed. From Anthony Banda’s opener that yielded a quick homer to the late-game meltdowns by Dreyer, Vesia, and Treinen, the sequence of errors painted a grim picture of a bullpen on its last legs. It’s painful to witness, knowing the postseason pressure cooker won’t be forgiving. This loss wasn’t just another game—it could very well mark the beginning of the end to the Dodgers’ title defense, underscoring the critical cost of a bullpen that just can’t hold firm.

In the final stretch, every pitch and every decision counts—and if the Dodgers’ relief corps can’t step up, the dream of a deep playoff run may evaporate quicker than they’d hoped. The stakes couldn’t be higher—and the bullpen’s breakdown has thrown a wrench into the team’s strongest aspirations. This story isn’t just about one game; it’s about an entire season unraveling against the backdrop of bruised hopes and relentless challenges. LEARN MORE.

Bye-bye bye.

Hello, Dodger bullpen.

It was all so familiar. It was all so infuriating. It was the 2025 season boiled down into three hours of roars, then screams, then sighs.

The gasping, grappling Dodgers needed a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies this week to have any chance at a first-round bye in the upcoming playoffs.

One game down, and their bullpen has already suffocated them.

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They’re not going to get the bye. They couldn’t survive Philly’s first punch. It was the same old story. The Dodgers’ continually Dodgers fall to Phillies in extra innings, hindering their playoff bye chances

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Max Muncy was asked about the bullpen, which allowed all six Phillies’ runs Monday, including three homers.

“That’s a tough question,” he said.

He attempted to answer it anyway, saying, “It’s frustrating from a team perspective, but they’ve done a great job for us all year and they’ll continue to do a great job.”

Sorry, but there is no spinning out of this mess. This is not a championship bullpen. This is not even a pennant-winning bullpen. This bullpen has been overworked and outmatched and simply outplayed all season, and when the Dodger front office had a chance to fix it at the trade deadline, they did virtually nothing.

It’s everyone’s fault. It’s an organizational failure. This bullpen is going to be the death of them. The slow expiration officially started Monday.

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Fueled by fat pitches from Anthony Banda and Jack Dreyer and Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen, the Dodgers suffered a loss that may well have ended their hopes of defending their title.

Now trailing the Phillies by 5 ½ games with a dozen games to play, there’s virtually no way the Dodgers can pass them and finish with the National League’s second-best record, which means instead of getting a week off they are headed for a dangerous three-game wild card series.

If they win the West over the San Diego Padres — no guarantee — they will play those three games at home. If they finish second in the West, they will play those three games on the road.

Read more: Will Shohei Ohtani boost the bullpen in the playoffs? Dodgers weigh complex options

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Either way, a team with a cooked bullpen and a sore-handed star catcher and all kinds of uncertainty surrounding their rotation won’t get the advantage of a much-needed rest.

“We want the bye, obviously,” Freddie Freeman told reporters last weekend.

It’s strangely not so obvious to everyone. Throughout the next two weeks there will undoubtedly be experts who will make the argument that the Dodgers don’t really want or need a bye week because it robs the team of its routine and rhythm.

Don’t be a dummy.

The Dodgers were desperate for that bye. The Dodgers knew they needed that bye. They knew they needed to rest the relievers, set up a Shohei Ohtani-led rotation, and give Will Smith’s right hand time to heal.

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Yes, the bye week bewitched them in 2022 and 2023, when the offense lost its swagger and the Dodgers were beaten in two stunning division series upsets by the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks.

But, then again, they earned the bye last year and you know how that ended up.

They needed to pass the Phillies. And they needed to start that process this week, as the Phillies’ remaining schedule includes a closing six-game stretch against the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins.

Read more: Q&A: Here’s what’s at stake for the Dodgers over the final two weeks

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is understandably steering clear of the bye-no bye debate, telling the media, “We’re gonna try to win as many games as we can. … Where it falls out is where is falls out. … I don’t think it matters for me to say how important it is. … I kind of just want to win games and see where it all plays out.”

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Here’s how it — ugh — played out Monday:

Banda starts the game as an opener and allows a shot into the right-center field stands by Kyle Schwarber.

Dreyer enters the game with a two-run lead in the seventh and allows a two-run homer to somebody named Weston Wilson.

Vesia allows a go-ahead homer by Bryce Harper in the eighth.

Treinen doesn’t hold the runners on base in the 10th, allows a double steal, and JT Realmuto hits the eventual game-winning fly ball.

“I had the guys that I wanted, and that doesn’t always work out,” said Roberts.

It feels like it’s too late to work out.

“Trying to see which guys step up,” said Roberts. “Just gonna try to figure out who’s going to seize the opportunity.”

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On Monday night, the opportunity seized them, dragging them into a three-game series that could cost them everything.

Tough to beat a wild card opponent with a bullpen that folds.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.