As the commissioner’s office and the players’ union negotiated over the terms of a 2020 season, the players pushed for a longer season, and playoffs extended into November. The owners were resolute: no way, because a potential second wave of the coronavirus compelled MLB to expedite the conclusion of the postseason.

So why, after winning their first-round series Thursday, do the Dodgers have four days off before starting the second round?

The players already have been in a postseason bubble for a week — confined to hotels, except for trips to the ballpark — and testing already takes place daily. The Dodgers’ off days, then, do not result from the health and safety protocols and they traveled Sunday to Arlington, Texas.

The cushion was