Emmet Sheehan Strengthens Dodgers Postseason Case With Dominant Relief Outing

Emmet Sheehan could not have made a much stronger case for a place in the Dodgers’ postseason bullpen.

Working behind opener Jack Dreyer on Sunday, Sheehan delivered 5⅓ scoreless innings in the Dodgers’ 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

He allowed only one hit and one walk while striking out nine of the 16 hitters he retired, keeping the Dodgers within one run until their offense broke through against San Francisco’s bullpen.

The performance also gave Los Angeles a clear look at how Sheehan could be used in October.

“Emmet’s a part of the conversation,” Dave Roberts said before Sunday’s game. “But if there is a role in the postseason, it would be out of the ’pen.”

Sheehan Dominates In Postseason-Style Role

Every one of Sheehan’s first 26 appearances this season had come as a starter.

Sunday was different.

Dreyer handled the first inning before Sheehan entered to begin the second. Rather than preparing for the game with a starter’s normal routine, Sheehan had to follow an opener and provide length from the bullpen.

He responded by shutting down the Giants through the seventh inning.

Sheehan retired the first eight hitters he faced before allowing his only hit. He then retired eight of his final nine, with the lone exception reaching on a walk.

His curveball was particularly effective, generating six swings and misses on 12 swings. That pitch helped Sheehan produce nine strikeouts while facing only two batters above the minimum.

Sunday’s outing demonstrated exactly what the Dodgers could ask him to do during the postseason: enter early, cover several innings and prevent one difficult inning from draining the rest of the bullpen.

Sheehan Has Turned His Season Around

The dominant performance was not an isolated result.

Since returning from a month-long stint with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Sheehan has allowed only one earned run over 17 innings in three Major League appearances. He has struck out 24 hitters during that stretch.

In his two previous starts, Sheehan combined to allow one run while striking out 15 over 11⅔ innings.

Adding Sunday’s outing gives him one of the strongest recent stretches among the Dodgers’ pitchers.

The improvement follows a difficult first half that resulted in his August demotion. Sheehan used his time in Triple-A to make adjustments and was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Month before returning to Los Angeles.

Across his last six outings between Triple-A and the majors, he has now allowed only two runs over 34⅓ innings while recording 48 strikeouts.

The timing could not be much better.

Another Demotion Would Be About The Roster

Sheehan is expected to return to Triple-A when Tarik Skubal comes back from the bereavement list.

If that move happens, it should not be viewed as a reflection of how Sheehan pitched Sunday.

Skubal’s placement on the bereavement list allowed the Dodgers to recall Sheehan only six days after optioning him. Players ordinarily must remain in the minors for 15 days after being optioned, but that requirement can be bypassed when they replace someone placed on the injured, paternity or bereavement list.

Skubal must eventually reclaim his active-roster spot, forcing the Dodgers to make a corresponding move.

Sheehan’s remaining minor-league flexibility makes him a likely candidate, even though his recent performance has done nothing to warrant a demotion on merit.

The move also would not prevent the Dodgers from considering him when they construct their postseason pitching staff.

Dodgers Must Decide How Much Length They Need

Sheehan offers something different from most of the Dodgers’ traditional relievers.

He can provide multiple innings, absorb the middle portion of a bullpen game or take over early if a postseason starter cannot pitch deep into a game.

That flexibility becomes especially valuable during a short series, when one abbreviated start can place significant pressure on the rest of the bullpen.

There will still be difficult decisions.

The Dodgers must determine how many traditional one-inning relievers they want, how Roki Sasaki fits after moving back to the bullpen and whether they need another pitcher capable of covering several innings.

Sheehan cannot control those decisions.

What he could control was his performance when given an opportunity to audition for the role. He responded with 5⅓ scoreless innings and nine strikeouts in a game the Dodgers eventually won by two runs.

Sheehan may be headed back to Triple-A when Skubal returns, but his postseason case has never been stronger.