The math never changes. A baseball series can be considered a test of wills, a contrast of styles or a clash of potential champions. But the math is iron-clad, which is why starting pitchers still carry weight, Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi explained.
“In every playoff game, 27 outs feels like a lot,” Zaidi said. “When you’ve got to do that seven times in nine days, as opposed to five times in seven days, getting those outs in bigger bunches matters.”
“It’s weird,” he added. “You usually talk about shortening the game for the starter. But nowadays, it’s almost about shortening the game for the bullpen — making them get six to nine outs, instead of 12 to 15 outs.