Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Despite outscoring the Diamondbacks by a 20-7 margin, the Dodgers exit the four-game series with a split after only being able to muster one run in the series finale, along with Dave Roberts being content to let Brusdar Graterol throw batting practice with the game on the line in a 2-1 loss.
======
After a rough Spring Training, Noah Syndergaard rebounded nicely in his debut, mostly cruising through six innings on just 78 pitches. He gave up a run on just four hits but didn’t walk anybody and struck out six.
But he didn’t leave with the lead as the bats got just one run in five innings off Zach Davies, and really nothing all game as Will Smith‘s solo shot came in the 1st frame. In total, the bats managed just four hits and four walks, going 0-for-6 with RISP.
In relief of Syndergaard, Caleb Ferguson and Evan Phillips got the 7th and 8th innings, with the only baserunner coming from a jam-shot single in the 8th that was quickly erased by a double play.
Graterol was given the 9th and got off to a bad start by giving up a double and then a single to right. Thankfully, he had Mookie Betts there to bail him out.
No matter, as another single followed and then a bunt that Graterol couldn’t field resulted in a single, a run, and a loss.
Despite all that happening, Graterol finished the inning, and in fact at no point did Dave have anybody up in the pen, which was … sorta insane. No matter how much you like Graterol, he clearly didn’t have it today, so Dave just gave off the impression that he was fine with losing this one.
It’s not even about the hits, really. Graterol threw just 11 of his 21 pitches for strikes, and only one of those was of the called variety, as the rest were put in play or fouled off. Prior to the bunt single, he was only saved from walking the bases loaded by a generous 3-0 strike that he eventually got an out from. Needless to say, without that and Mookie’s throw things could’ve easily gotten ugly with the command he had today, and to have nobody up was just a bizarre choice.
=====
2-2.
The Dodgers welcome the Rockies tomorrow at the usual 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET with Michael Grove facing Ryan Feltner.
