Dodgers reliever Craig Kimbrel came to the team in March to fill the hole at closer left by Kenley Jansen’s departure to Atlanta in the offseason.
Dodger fans would have preferred that Kimbrel not fill Kenley’s shoes in quite such an on-the-nose fashion. Kimbrel finished the season with a 3.75 ERA, five blown saves, and an unsure status heading into the postseason. His grip on the closer role was tenuous, and after he walked three batters to lose an extra-inning game in San Diego on September 27, he didn’t pitch in the ninth inning again.