Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After falling 6-4 to the Mets in a hilariously frustrating game, the Dodgers have now lost a season-high three in a row, have dropped seven of their last nine, and have lost four of their last five series.
Team looks like shit.
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Coming off the best start of his career, Gavin Stone didn’t have much today. He started the game with a four-pitch walk, which led to a stolen base, and a wild pitch resulted in a runner at third. A one-out double from Francisco Lindor cashed that in and made it 0-1. Back-to-back walks with two outs loaded the bases, but Stone escaped potential disaster.
On the other side of things was Jose Butto, who started out equally shaky. A Mookie Betts double was followed by a Shohei Ohtani walk, and Freddie Freeman finally got any big hit at all with a single to tie things up at 1-1. After a strikeout, a walk loaded the bases, but back-to-back strikeouts killed off yet another Dodgers scoring chance.
Freddie Freeman ties the game up early with a single. pic.twitter.com/6Ra7W3uxcy
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 20, 2024
The next inning saw much of the same for the Dodgers, as with two outs in the 2nd it was Betts, Ohtani, and Freeman that drew consecutive walks, only for a strikeout to derail potential damage yet again.
With the bases loaded the season, the Dodgers are slashing .111/.105/.111 ??
— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) April 20, 2024
Meanwhile, Stone continued to get in trouble, having to work around a single and a walk in the 2nd and a walk and a double in the 3rd. In the 4th, a single and a stolen base started a rally, and after he only got a groundout thanks to a Gavin Lux diving play, his day was done as the lineup turned over.
Just a terrible command day, I dunno: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 1 K, 72 Pitches.
Gavin Lux saves a run. pic.twitter.com/UMSRVLHP2h
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 20, 2024
Michael Grove entered and promptly hit a batter to corner the runners, then he gave up a single to Starling Marte to make it 1-2 with the run charged to Stone. However, he bounced back to get a pair of outs and avoid the game being blown open.
After a busy first two innings, the offense had a quiet 3rd and 4th, but the 5th started with a Shohei Ohtani double. After advancing to third on a groundout, Teoscar Hernandez got hit to knock Butto out of the game, and a Max Muncy sacrifice fly off the lefty reliever tied things up at 2-2.
Next up out of the pen for the Dodgers was Ryan Yarbrough, who cruised through a 10-pitch inning in the 5th, but issued a walk, got an out on a sac bunt, and hit a batter to start the 6th. Ryan Brasier then entered and provided zero relief, as the first pitch he threw was pummeled to center by Marte to make it 2-5 in a flash.
The bottom of the inning saw the Dodgers rally back, as Andy Pages was hit by a pitch and Gavin Lux singled, then a one-out walk from Mookie loaded the bases. After a strikeout, it was Freddie who got the big hit again, singling to drive in two and make it 4-5.
Freddie Freeman comes through again, driving in a pair and cutting the deficit to one. pic.twitter.com/uUEK8Yz2hC
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 20, 2024
After another walk the bags were juiced again, but Pete Alonso robbed Max Muncy of extra bases, adding to the frustration of watching this team right now.
Kill me. pic.twitter.com/aEJZJcFm3t
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 20, 2024
Of course, since the team rallied and fell short, the pen got in immediate trouble. Joe Kelly started the 7th with a walk and a double, then got a groundout into a drawn-in infield before exiting. Alex Vesia was up next, and he got a fly out to right with the Mets choosing to not test Pages’ great arm. After a fly out to center followed, the magician act was complete and it was still 4-5.
Please take advantage of that gift. Granted, part of the problem during this run is they haven't.
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 20, 2024
So of course the Dodgers went out and did the opposite. A lead-off single was followed by a double play because of a questionable slide rule violation at second, and a couple pitches later the inning was over.
Well at least the Dodgers had Evan Phillips in the 8th, right? Sorta. With one out, Mookie threw in the dirt while charging for another error, a stolen base was a given against Austin Barnes, and then a Lindor single made it 4-6.
The lineup rallied in the bottom of the inning with one out, doing much the same as earlier today, with Mookie, Ohtani, and Freeman all walking to load the bases. Again though, back-to-back strikeouts ended that scoring chance, marking the fourth time a Dodgers inning ended with the bases loaded.
Nick Ramirez finished things out for the Dodgers in the 9th, with a clean 11-pitch frame. However, the bats predictably couldn’t get anything accomplished and the game was over.
The Dodgers are currently in this constant state of needing one well-executed play in some facet of the game to turn the tide of things, but also essentially never getting it. Whether it’s a fielding error, a baserunning blunder, a key at-bat, an important pitch, or some combination of the above, they just can’t seem to get it done at the moment. It’s also why while they get close to coming back, they never actually complete it. Sure, the team probably breaks out of it eventually as things go their way, but it’s unbelievably frustrating to watch them play like this.
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12-11, .500 awaits.
The Dodgers will look to at least avoid a sweep tomorrow at 10:10 AM HT/1:10 PM PT/4:10 PM ET with Tyler Glasnow facing off against Adrian Houser.
