A philosophical sea change can take many forms. On Friday evening, in the sixth inning of a 4-3 Dodgers victory in Game 1 of the National League division series, the symbol was a bullpen door opening.
The summer prepared Dave Roberts for nights like this. He spent his first six months as the manager of Dodgers watching his starting pitchers struggle, unable to provide distance in games. He saw something similar unfold inside a ballpark filled to the brim with the blood-red color of the Nationals.
His starter was reeling.