The Dodgers’ bullpen seems to be their Achilles heel this season, and it was no different in their latest game against the San Francisco Giants. Despite an impressive debut by young starter Emmet Sheehan, the Dodgers’ bullpen blew their lead and ultimately lost the game.
Sheehan, a 23-year-old prospect, threw six no-hit innings and was backed up by some excellent defense from his teammates. The Dodgers took a 4-0 lead into the seventh inning, but that’s when things started to fall apart.
Brusdar Graterol gave up a two-run homer in the seventh, and things only got worse from there. Victor González and Tayler Scott were responsible for a disastrous three-run rally in the eighth inning, and Alex Vesia faltered in the 11th inning, giving the Giants the lead for good.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed his disappointment in the bullpen’s performance, saying, “Emmet was fun to watch, very excited for him, and we made some nice plays behind him. I wish we could have ended it with a win.”
This loss adds to the Dodgers’ recent struggles, with relievers being charged with the loss in 11 out of their 14 defeats in the last 24 games. The team’s bullpen has the second-worst earned-run average in the majors, making it clear that this is a problem that needs to be addressed.
To make matters worse, the Dodgers were also missing some of their top relievers, including Evan Phillips, Yency Almonte, and Shelby Miller, who were all unavailable due to recent workloads.
Despite the ongoing struggles of the bullpen, Roberts remains optimistic and says he will continue to believe in his players. “I’m gonna keep running them out there. I’m gonna keep believing in them and expect good results to happen,” he said.
The Dodgers’ offense also struggled in the game, with their only other run coming on a Freddie Freeman single in the bottom of the ninth inning. Mookie Betts made two costly errors on the basepaths, getting thrown out trying to steal third base in the ninth inning and failing to see a baserunner stop at third base in the 11th inning.
Roberts’ decision to pull Sheehan earlier in the night also came into question, but the manager defended his decision, saying it was an “easy decision” despite the bullpen’s unreliability and Sheehan’s pitch count.
Overall, it was a disappointing night for the Dodgers and their fans. The team has a lot of talent and potential, but until they can fix their bullpen issues, they will continue to struggle to close out games. Maybe they should consider bringing in some new relievers or investing in some lucky charms for the bullpen.
References
- https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers
- https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/liveblog/dodgers-san-francisco-giants-live-updates-pride-night
- https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-03-19/dodgers-brusdar-graterol-reliever-dave-roberts
- https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-05-11/victor-gonzalez-dodgers-reliever-weight-loss-dave-roberts
- https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-06-14/dodgers-white-sox-game-story-for-thursday-print
- https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-02-18/dave-roberts-positive-minded-outlook-season
- https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-04-18/evan-phillips-dodgers-bullpen-struggles-mets
- https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-giants-20160409-story.html
- https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ey5efb33Pxc?enablejsapi=1&version=3&playerapiid=ytplayer
- https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-06-16/emmet-sheehan-no-hit-dodgers-debut-giants-loss
