This was a heartbreaker. You get Blake Snell vs a bullpen game, and you know the odds are not in your favor. However, behind Michael Grove who was going to pitch to the 1st 5 batters and Ryan Yarbrough, the Dodgers took a 3-1 lead into the 8th. Unfortunately, between Yency Almonte and Caleb Ferguson, the Padres scored 7 runs in the 8th.
Michael Grove struck out the 1st 4 batters he faced before giving up a single to Xavier Bogaerts, and his night was over. Yes he was outstanding, and his breaking balls were brilliant. But the game plan was to get through 5 batters and then give way to Yarbrough.
Yarbrough made a one bad pitch to Manny Machado who crushed a solo HR. Yarbrough threw 63 pitches in 4.2 IP. Brusdar Graterol pitched well for his 1.1 IP. Then the whole thing went to hell…fast in the 8th.
The Dodgers were able to get Blake Snell’s pitch count up north of 100 after 5.0 innings. It was the first game Snell allowed 3 runs in any of his games since May 19, 13 straight games. Snell’s ERA was 5.40 on May 19. Going into Saturday’s game, his ERA was 2.50, best in MLB.
The Dodgers were in a position to put their cleat on the Padres throat and Almonte and Ferguson pitching, Kiké’s and Ferguson’s errors changed the outcome of the game, and perhaps for the weekend. The Padres are now 3.0 games behind in the Wild Card. I like their chances.
The Dodgers did get a 1st inning HR from Will Smith. Chris Taylor walked, stole 2nd, stole third, and scored on a Kiké Hernández sac fly. The Dodgers scored their third run on a Mookie Betts double and E7, and Freddie plated Mookie with an opposite field single. Things were looking very good for the Dodgers at that point. But reminiscent of the 2022 NLDS, the bullpen fell apart in San Diego. Will they get it back together for Games 3 and 4 in the series?
Lance Lynn vs. Rich Hill on Sunday and Tony Gonsolin vs. Seth Lugo on Monday.
08-05-2023 – MiLB Game Summary Report
Round Rock Express 4 – OKC Dodgers 3
The next wave of young pitching piggybacked on Saturday, and they came oh so close to pitching a masterpiece. Landon Knack started and pitched 4.0 scoreless innings, with 3 hits, 0 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Kyle Hurt made his AAA debut, and had one mistake in his 5.0 innings. The one mistake was with 2 outs, on an 0-1 changeup, up in the zone (middle) that was slugged for a grand slam. He had allowed 2 other hits and 2 BB against 6 K’s the rest of his 5.0 innings.
OKC scored two in the bottom of the 9th with the tying runner on 3rd with Michael Busch at the plate, Busch hit a line drive but right at the LF to end the game.
Key Performances:
- Yonny Hernández – 2-3, 1 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, HR (3)
- Michael Busch – double (22)
Box Score
Wichita Wind Surge (Minnesota) 9 – Tulsa Drillers 5
Kendall Williams had a very good AA debut. He allowed 1 run on 3 hits in 4.0 innings. He got 7 Ks but walked 3. The relievers not so good. Wichita put up 6 in the 5th to take a 7-3 lead, and stayed out front the rest of the game.
Diego Cartaya has not hit for batting average this year, but he does continue to hit for power. He hit his 14th HR of the season.
Key Performers:
- Austin Gauthier – 2-3, 2 BB, 2 runs, double (13)
- Yusniel Diaz – 2-4, 1 run, 3 RBI, double (14), HR (10)
Box Score
Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego) 10 – Great Lakes Loons 1 – 4.5 innings
Peter Heubeck gave up 7 (all earned) runs in the 1st inning without recording an out.
Jake Vogel went 1-2 with a double (17).
Box Score
Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado) 10 – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5
Jared Karros gave up 8 runs (7 earned) on 10 hits in 3.0 IP. Two of the hits were HRs. The score was 10-1 after the 5th inning. RC could get no closer than 10-5.
Key Performers:
- Wilman Diaz – 4-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI, triple (3), HR (3)
- Rayne Doncon – 2-3
- Jose Izarra – 1-4, 2 RBIs, double (17)
Box Score
5 batters? 4 innings by both Grove and Yarbrough makes a lot more sense to me.
Almonte was so good and so consistent last year. Hard to see him this way. Re Ferguson, he is either good or bad, no consistency. I watched him struggle in Cincinnati, couldn’t even throw strikes but Roberts likes him and left him in waaay to long. And last night he was bad again.
Maybe Grove is the next Gagne?
Every now and then we are reminded that with this pitching staff we gotta score 8.
Padres now 3 out of Wild Card. I do not want to see that team in the tournament.
Pulling Grove set in motion a chain of events that led directly to the loss.
This was never a piggyback game. This was going to be a bullpen game. The Dodgers do not go deep into the lineup with the opener ever in a bullpen game. The thing is, it was working to perfection until Almonte and Ferguson got on the mound.
Yes, Almonte was outstanding last year. And after a horrific start, he went 15 games from June 15 thru July 25 without giving up an earned run. In his last three games totaling 2.2 IP, he has given up 7 walks and 4 hits that have led to 6 runs. That is not encouraging.
Caleb Ferguson is another concern. Nobody has been a bigger supporter of Ferguson than me. In his last 15 games (from June 30), Ferguson has thrown exactly two clean innings. He seems to always be pitching with traffic much of that he has created. In those 15 games, in 13.1 IP, Ferguson has inherited 8 runners and 4 have scored, and he has given up 8 runs on his own (4 earned). Then again, those 4 “unearned” runs were due to his toss over the head of Freddie last night for what should have been the 3rd out. In those 13.1 IP, he has given up 19 hits, 9 walks, and 2 HBP. That is 30 baserunners in 13.1 IP. In no way, shape, or form, is that acceptable. He has 2 options, maybe it is time to use one. Or put him on the IL for one of those mid-season respites.
While I recently wrote why I believed AF/BG should be absolved for their inability to obtain top of the rotation pitching, I am not absolving them for their inability to find a back of the bullpen high leverage reliever. Yes David Robertson was expensive with prospect capital, but nothing that the Dodgers could not have absorbed. Jordan Hicks? Aroldis Chapman? Génesis Cabrera? Pierce Johnson? Paul Sewald? Keynan Middleton? All of these guys have a 1 game meltdown, but bounce back. All relievers do. They cannot possibly believe Hudson, Treinen, or Feyereisen are going to be able to come back and be effective. Can they?
The best reliever for the Dodgers seems to be Ryan Brasier. Maybe it is time to give him the high leverage role, and move Almonte and Ferguson out of it. Give Grove the shot. He seems to have the swing and miss that the bullpen is missing.
I am looking for Brusdar Graterol to hit the proverbial wall. He has already surpassed his high in games pitched, and is within 2 innings of his career highest.
Great 7 inning game. After that, not so much, but those things happen.
They are going with Openers because of injuries and the plan for a front rotation starter fell through. They don’t WANT to do this, they feel forced to do it.
Yarbrough, Grove, and Sheehan all look like once through the lineup pitchers. Stone might be one too. Maybe Knack could do it as well. Can they all go 3 innings every 4th day? Sounds ridiculous when I say it but it might give the bullpen the rest they will need going forward.
This is a problem that won’t go away. Urias and Gonsolin won’t go 7. Lynn might but he’ll leave having given up 4 or more runs. Kershaw is coming back but his presence offers no guarantees. Roberts has little room for movement here. These are the players he has to work with. If we are playing against a good offense, we better put a lot of runs on the board.
Last night was a stinky bowel movement. It happens. Need to flush it and move on.
Realistically, all we need is a split of this road series. 3 out of 4 would be fantastic and that is still on the table.
It is amusing listening/reading people losing their minds over 1 bad game.
“Fear not. The Dodgers are filling their bank accounts for a Shohei Ohtani run. They traded Justin Bruihl, Phil Bickford, Adam Kolarek, Eddys Leonard and Kole Calhoun all for cash. 😂 “
I’m keeping track and the cash they got for those 5 guys is enough to sign Ohtani’s left shoelace. It’s a pretty tall mountain to climb.
Michael Grove to the IL with a right lat injury. Some are speculating that this is why Grove exited after 5 batters. It is not coming from the Dodgers. I am not buying it. Yarbrough was warming up to take the ball against Cronenworth. He was not replacing an injured player. He may have injured it during the game, but that is not why he came out (IMO).
Bryan Hudson recalled to take his place.
Roberts was as critical of Almonte as he has ever been for any of his players:
As for Almonte’s role in said bullpen, Roberts also said this after Saturday’s game,
It doesn’t look like Almonte is going to get any high leverage opportunities in the short term.
Rich Hill is a nice guy but he ain’t it.
Small Sample Size theater:
Mets traded five players and are 0-6 since the Trade Deadline
Reds acquired one reliever and are 0-6 since the Trade Deadline
D-backs acquired a closer and an OF and are 0-6 since the Trade Deadline
Angels acquired five players and are 0-6 since the Trade Deadline
The moral of this story?
OBVIOUSLY, don’t play the first six games after the deadline if you make a lot of moves.
Just an aside. When people were talking about Rosario’s defense they said it was subpar at SS. Check this out.
Rosario at SS: 303 CH, 11 E, .964 F%.
Trea Turner at SS: 398 CH, 13 E, .967 F%.
The major question for me in this moment is what will Yarbrough’s role be? Starter or reliever? As of this moment, Urias, Gonsolin, Lynn, & Miller are locks at starting. Then, there is the choice of Grove and Sheehan, but Yarbrough has a fair amount of starting credentials and would also be an interesting choice because of his pitching style. What do posters think?