Dodgers eying a 3rd straight World Series title as NLDS opener nears

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freddie Freeman and Emmet Sheehan yawned. Manager Dave Roberts wore shorts to batting practice. The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing it cool as they head into the postseason with history at stake.

They’re trying to become the first team since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000 to win three consecutive World Series championships, and the first National League club to ever do it.

They’ll leave the sky-high expectations to everyone else.

“It’s not something we’re really focused on,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “When you talk about three-peating, you’re putting that extra pressure on it that doesn’t need to be there. Winning a World Series is already hard enough as it is.”

The Dodgers played a simulated game Thursday with the deciding game of the NL Wild Card Series between Philadelphia and Atlanta shown on the stadium video boards. The Braves beat the Phillies 6-2 and will play at Los Angeles in Game 1 of the best-of-five NL Division Series on Saturday, when the temperature is forecast to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) for the day game.

“You’re facing a team that’s already been through the fire and they’ve faced the emotion,” Muncy said.

The Dodgers have spent the bye week getting healthy while mixing in live batting practice, hitting in the cage and simulated games in a mostly silent stadium. Other than walk-up songs, the only sounds were the crack of the bat, guys hooting from the dugouts and outfielders yelling to signal they’d handle a fly ball.

Freeman used the down time to focus on getting his swing mechanics right while managing a right knee issue. The 37-year-old first baseman’s plan included taking 400 swings “hopefully to kick out the bad habits,” he said.

Freeman doubled against Tyler Glasnow leading off Thursday’s simulated game.

“I truly feel good right now physically and it’s on me right now to figure out the mechanics of the swing,” he said. “I have no pain in my knee right now.”

Four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani has struggled with nagging right biceps and left knee issues for weeks. His knee shut him down from pitching and his arm recently landed him on the injured list for the first time with the Dodgers. He returned in time to play in five games at the end of the season.

Which version of Ohtani the Dodgers get in the NLDS remains to be seen; however, Roberts said he’s “feeling great physically. His swings are overall in a great place.”

The Dodgers’ lineup of position players is the oldest in the majors, led by 37-year-old infielder Miguel Rojas, Freeman and 35-year-old Muncy. Ohtani is 32. Reliever Blake Treinen is 38, but will miss the postseason after getting hurt last weekend.

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“I think experience is going to be huge,” Freeman said. “We know what it takes.”

At the same time, the Dodgers can’t afford to get ahead of themselves.

“If you think big picture in this moment, you’re going to lose sight of things,” Freeman said.

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