Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Well, I guess that was inevitable. The Dodgers had their three-game winning streak snapped when they ran into the Brewers and arch-nemesis Eric Lauer again in a 4-0 loss.
======
Historically, Eric Lauer becomes the greatest pitcher on the planet when he sees the Dodgers on the opposite side of the field. That mostly held true tonight as well.
After a clean 1st, Lauer allowed two singles and a walk in the 2nd, but escaped damage thanks to Christian Yelich of all people throwing out Justin Turner at home. After another clean frame, he then allowed two singles and a walk to load the bases in the 4th before getting Gavin Lux to fly out to keep the zero in his line. After an uneventful 5th, his night was done, and really getting him out of the game due to 98 pitches is a win in a way.
He now has a 2.37 ERA against the Dodgers in 11 starts and is about 30 percent better in terms of OPS allowed against them than other teams for his career.
——
Julio Urias has emerged as the Dodgers ace this year and put in another great start tonight. He faced just two runners in scoring position, one each in the 2nd (walk/HBP) and the 6th (single/balk), but was never really in trouble.
He did get some help on the way.
Still, he left the game losing because of a high 3-2 fastball to Luis Urias that was deposited into the stands in the 4th. He was also removed perhaps an inning early to manage his workload given his likely important role in October: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 84 Pitches.
The Dodgers pen continued to roll in the next two innings behind Alex Vesia and the return of Brusdar Graterol, both looking impressive with clean innings and a pair of strikeouts. However, Phil Bickford continued to struggle in the 9th, giving up two doubles, a sacrifice fly, a homer to Keston Hiura, hitting a batter and surrendering a walk before the inning was over. It was 4-0 by then.
——
To be fair, the bats didn’t do much against the Brewers pen either. They got just a walk in the 6th, a single in the 7th, and a single in the 8th was erased by a double play.
Honestly, the worst part about Bickford’s implosion is that the Brewers didn’t have to use Devin Williams in the 9th, and they worked around a single in the frame to close things out.
——
Indeed.
======
84-37 and 43-16 at home.
Series continues tomorrow at 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET with Tony Gonsolin against Corbin Burnes, which is still better than facing Lauer, honestly.
