Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
How many fans of other teams have to think, "Oh god, it's Daniel Descalso, we're fucked!"
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 9, 2018
Well?
After dropping a series to the Padres in Mexico, which about sums up their season so far, the Dodgers returned to Chavez Ravine to play the Diamondbacks for the 500th time this season. A fact that’s hard to believe but true.
The D-backs jumped all over Rich Hill and the game seemed over, but the offense fought back, tying the game in the 9th. However, the offense then blew huge chances in back-to-back innings before the pen finally allowed a run in an 8-5 loss.
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Rich Hill came off the disabled list and continued to look like the version of Rich Hill that went on the disabled list, and by that I mean just continuing to get absolutely shelled. He lasted just 79 pitches and four innings, primarily because he surrendered five runs on two walks and seven hits, including three dongs.
Tip for all the youngsters out there who want to be successful pitchers: Don’t constantly get behind 2-0 and 3-1 and then pump belt-high fastballs down the middle. It tends to end badly!
That brought in the pen, which has been an unmitigated disaster this year, but the combination of JT Chargois, Daniel Hudson, Josh Fields, and Adam Liberatore pitched four scoreless innings, allowing just a hit and two walks while striking out five.
The offense got things started early at least, with Chris Taylor walking to start the game in the 1st and eventually coming home on a two-out single from Matt Kemp.
Yasmani Grandal then made sure they did it the easy way in the 3rd by bombing a solo shot.
The rally in the 5th was started with a one-out Tim Locastro walk, then two-out singles from Alex Verdugo and then Grandal plated a run.
Cody Bellinger followed by roping a double down the line in right, which scored another and cut the deficit to just a single run.
Then came the 9th, when the Dodgers actually managed to comeback all the way thanks to an Enrique Hernandez game-tying solo shot to center.
Kenley Jansen ended up getting two innings because desperate times call for desperate measures, and though he struck out one and allowed just a double in his scoreless frames, he looked anything but convincing.
In the 10th, the Dodgers began to Dodger. Grandal started with a walk and Bellinger beat out an infield single, providing a ton of promise. Kemp then hit a long fly ball to the wall in right-center which got everybody’s hopes up, but it fell just short and only advanced pinch-runner Ross Stripling to third. After throwing two balls to Joc Pederson, they decided to put him on intentionally. That brought up Kyle Farmer and then Chase Utley with the bases loaded and both fucking struck out. Last year, Farmer gets thrown into a game against a rival in a key situation and walks them off. This year, Farmer gets put in against the D-backs only needing a sac fly and strikes out. So it goes.
Tony Cingrani entered for the 11th and allowed a single to start, but got a scoreless frame and faced the minimum thanks to Farmer botching a block and then throwing a runner out that tried to advance.
Things got interesting quick for the Dodgers again in the 11th, with Enrique starting with a walk and CT3 being hit on the hand. Verdugo then stepped up and struck out on a pitch that was basically center cut, because of course he did even though he never strikes out. Kenta Maeda was then the pinch-hitter since the Dodgers were out of position players and he laid down a bunt, but Bellinger flew out routinely to right to end the threat again.
Yimi Garcia was next out of the pen, and while he got into trouble by allowing a one-out walk and single, he got A.J. Pollock to pop-out to make getting out of it likely. Of course, Descalso hit a three-run homer to essentially end the game.
Why not?
Fuck this year.
Just forfeit the rest of the games. Seriously.
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The Dodgers get to 15-20 on the season and 7-9 at Dodger Stadium, which is actually better than it feels.
The two teams will do it again tomorrow at 4:10 PM HST/7:10 PM PST/10:10 PM EST. Alex Wood (3.83 ERA/2.20 FIP/2.51 DRA) will look to make his peripherals match his performance as he’ll take the mound against surprising ace Patrick Corbin (2.15/2.88/1.67), which will be another loss.
