The Dodgers on Sunday rallied for a 4-3 win over the Rockies (box score) thanks to walk-off home run by Charlie Culberson. As a result, the Dodgers are National League West champions for 2016. This marks the Dodgers' fourth straight division title and also ensures their 30th trip to the postseason in franchise history.
Here's the walk-off homer:
For rookie manager Dave Roberts, it was the result of leveraging roster depth to overcome an inordinate number of injuries. Per ManGamesLost.com, the Dodgers in 2016 have lost almost 1,900 individual player games to the disabled list this season. That's easily the most in baseball.
As the following chart, which plots individual games lost against team wins, will show, the Dodgers are outliers in terms of both the volume of injuries and their ability to win in spite of it all ...
As such, it was a dogged success for the Dodgers and Roberts, who's the likely favorite for NL Manager of the Year honors. Over the course of the season, he's summoned 15 different starting pitchers to the mound. Overall, he's used 31 different pitchers, 14 different outfielders, and, not counting pitchers, sent 24 different players to the plate at various points. Roberts in 2016 used 92 different defensive lineups (134 if you count the pitcher) and 115 different batting orders (146 if you count the pitcher). Sure, some of that is managerial tinkering and response to slumps and surges, but in this instance much of the churn was a consequence of all the injuries.
The 2016 Dodgers were dogged in another sense. As late as June 26, they were eight games out of first place. Since that low point, though, they've won at a .610 clip -- behind only the Cubs and Red Sox over that span. Much of that, of course, was achieved without the services of uber-ace Clayton Kershaw, who Saturday night made just his 20th start of the season.
Many an eyebrow was arched this past winter in response to the Dodgers -- deep coffers and all -- and their decision to pass on premium free agents in favor of depth. As it turns out, that depth was needed in a most desperate way. Then more depth was needed, which they got at the deadline. It all fell to manager who'd never before managed to sort it all out and keep all the coming-and-going players fresh, engaged, and not excessively displeased.
Up next comes an NLDS encounter with the Nationals. In part, previous manager Don Mattingly was forced aside because of his inability to get the Dodgers deep into October (in addition to his frequent tactical missteps). Ultimately, Roberts' work this season will be judged by how far he takes the Dodgers in the playoffs. They've overcome much already, but, fair or not, the real crucible is yet to come.
