Dodgers Defy the Odds in Drenched Marathon Victory—Can Their Shorthanded Pitching Survive the Brutal Stretch Ahead?
Friday night in New York turned into a late-night marathon for the Dodgers, who barely eked out a 7-5 win over the Mets after a wild, rain-delayed battle that stretched deep into the early morning hours. Kicking off at 7:10 p.m. ET and finally wrapping just before 1 a.m., this slugfest wasn’t exactly the kind of smooth, confidence-building victory the defending champs needed to start a brutal stretch of their schedule. With 26 straight games looming—all against teams holding winning records—Los Angeles was hoping for a quick and easy win that could give their worn-down pitching relief. Instead, they got anything but.
The relentless mix of a heavy downpour and extra innings forced manager Dave Roberts to trot out nearly every arm in an already taxed bullpen. When Luis García finally snagged the last out in the 13th inning, the Dodgers filed off Citi Field’s dirt for a quick round of high-fives—but calling it a “win” felt like a stretch. Clayton Kershaw, who only managed two innings before rain squashed his start, admitted postgame that while the team came out on top, the toll on their pitching staff was draining. The Mets faced the same struggles but fell short, and so did the Dodgers, in a way—a Pyrrhic victory, if there ever was one.
This opener was more than just a lengthy test of endurance. It highlighted how much the Dodgers’ rotation has struggled to give the bullpen the breaks it desperately needs. No major league club has gotten fewer innings from its starters, and injuries have left the staff dangerously thin. As the team barrels into what could be a season-defining gauntlet, they’ll need every bit of resilience they can muster to survive, let alone thrive.
LEARN MORENEW YORK — On Friday night, the Dodgers emerged victorious, technically speaking. The defending champions outlasted the Mets 7-5 in an ugly, delirious, rain-soaked, 13-inning slopfest. The game started at 7:10 p.m. ET. It ended just before 1 a.m.
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