The Dodgers are approaching the five-day break before the postseason differently this time

The Los Angeles Dodgers will play in the National League Division Series for the twelfth consecutive year this Saturday. The key question as the Dodgers wait for the winner of the Wild Card series between the Padres and Braves: Can they avoid another early exit?

The Dodgers have been shockingly upset in each of their last two NLDS appearances – each year by their NL West rivals, which made matters worse. The San Diego Padres shocked Los Angeles in 2022, while the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Dodgers in 2023.

The Dodgers can't afford another first-round exit, especially after committing more than $1.2 billion in payroll last offseason to get the team back to the World Series. The team has brought in talent like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to stave off October heartache and bring back more trophies. Even though there are many injuries in the starting lineup, there are no more excuses for the team this time.

The Dodgers know they can't overlook their first-round opponent, but they're having a hard time adjusting to the break between the end of the regular season and the NLDS. This is especially true for the team's batsmen, who are used to usually batting every day in a row.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes explained some of the adjustments the team is making over the break to ensure they are ready for the NLDS.

“We're going to play some games on Wednesday and Thursday and try to make sure our guys don't play against our guys,” Gomes said, via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “We'll have enough 'stay hot' guys (players who aren't on the NLDS roster but continue to practice in case they're needed) or guys from Triple-A, guys who are on the roster but no chance have.” I haven't been here yet. Make sure we don't hesitate to give the pitch to one of our own players so that the guys can respond to it more than they normally would.

“When we talk to our hitters, they think of a few things we're going to do to help our guys handle high-speed competition and things they're going to do to handle high-speed competition in between to get extra reps ,” Gomes said of Plunkett.

The Dodgers begin the postseason on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

Photo credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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