Dodgers Reliever Anthony Banda Breaks Silence on Game-4 Nightmare—Is LA’s World Series Hopes Still Alive?

LOS ANGELES — Left-hander Anthony Banda suddenly finds himself at the center of the 2025 World Series narrative. After surrendering a momentum-shifting grand slam in Game 4 and allowing two late runs in Game 5, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ mid-season acquisition has become both a lightning rod for criticism and a potential X-factor as the Fall Classic shifts back to Toronto. BANDA’S BUMPY OCTOBER Banda, 32, was added to Dave Roberts’ NLDS roster in place of injured rookie Justin Wrobleski and veteran reliever Edgardo Henriquez. The move looked savvy when Banda threw a scoreless 1 ⅔ innings in Game 2 of the NLCS, but the wheels have come off against the Blue Jays. In Tuesday night’s Game 4, the southpaw entered with the Dodgers trailing 2-1; four batters later, Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk parked a 1-2 fastball into the right-field pavilion for a grand slam that broke the game open. Banda’s final line: ⅔ IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. Only 24 hours later, Roberts again turned to Banda with two outs in the seventh of Game 5 and the Dodgers clinging to a 1-0 lead. A single by Bo Bichette and a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. double flipped the script, sparking a six-run Blue Jays rally that pushed L.A. to the brink of elimination. WHY THE DODGERS KEEP LEANING ON HIM Roberts has defended his decision to keep Banda in high-leverage spots, citing the reliever’s 60 percent ground-ball rate since the All-Star break and his .174 opponent average vs. left-handed batters during the regular season. “His stuff plays,” Roberts told reporters. “If he executes, we win that matchup.” Yet execution has been elusive: Banda has allowed eight earned runs in his last 3 ⅓ playoff innings. THE SCOUTING REPORT • Fastball: 94-95 mph with late arm-side run but flattens when elevated. • Changeup: Primary out pitch vs. righties; generates 32 percent whiff rate. • Curveball: 79-81 mph, big vertical drop; command has wavered this month. Advanced metrics highlight the problem: his first-pitch strike rate has plummeted from 66 percent in September to 48 percent in October, forcing Banda into hitter’s counts where his fastball becomes predictable. HOW L.A. CAN RESET 1. Short leash in Game 6: Expect Banda to face no more than one batter, ideally a left-hander such as Daulton Varsho. 2. Pair him with Brusdar Graterol: The heavy-sinker righty induces grounders that can erase inherited runners. 3. Lean on match-up data: Blue Jays hitters are slugging .739 on Banda’s four-seamers above the belt; tunneling the changeup off a lower fastball could curb hard contact. TORONTO’S GAME PLAN Blue Jays hitting coach Guillermo Martínez said his club is hunting Banda’s fastball early. “We don’t chase below the knees against him,” Martínez noted. “If he starts us with a heater up, we’re ready to ambush.” BANDA’S RESPONSE “I’ve been punched in the mouth before,” Banda told SportsNet LA after Game 4. “You flush it, make an adjustment, and be ready the next time they call your name.” Yet even Banda concedes the margin for error is slim. One more misfire could end the Dodgers’ season — and cast a shadow over his first postseason run since debuting in 2017. WHAT’S AT STAKE A championship would rewrite Banda’s narrative from October scapegoat to redemption story. Failure, however, could prompt the Dodgers to overhaul a bullpen that also faltered in 2024. With Clayton Kershaw set to retire after the series, L.A. can ill afford another bullpen meltdown. BOTTOM LINE Anthony Banda’s next appearance may define both his career trajectory and the Dodgers’ title hopes. Whether he delivers a shutdown inning or relives his recent struggles, baseball’s eyes — and search engines — will be watching.