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PITTSBURGH — Does anybody need to win the Nationwide League West?
As a result of this week, it certain doesn’t seem like it.
What was marketed as a supposed late-season dash between the first-place Dodgers and second-place San Diego Padres has as an alternative seemed extra like a military crawl by the mud. Neither crew has been capable of win video games, even in opposition to last-place opponents. Neither has capitalized on the opposite’s errors, engaged in what has change into a race to the underside to see who can wrestle extra.
For the Dodgers, this could have been the second to drag away within the division. Already up two video games in the beginning of this week, they watched from afar because the injury-ravaged Padres have been stunningly swept by the Baltimore Orioles in San Diego, operating the Padres’ latest dropping streak to 4 video games.
Nonetheless, the Dodgers have responded with their very own confounding spat of performances, dropping a second straight recreation to the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on Wednesday evening at PNC Park to undergo their fourth defeat within the final 5 video games.
This week’s collection at PNC Park — the fourth straight the Dodgers have dropped right here over the past 4 years — has epitomized the crew’s maddening present kind.
One evening, they explode on the plate for seven runs … just for their pitching workers to surrender 9.
The following, they piece collectively an honest pitching effort (even after Shohei Ohtani was scratched from his scheduled begin due to an sickness) … just for the offense to squander each alternative they needed to make a dent (and lose catcher Will Smith to a hand contusion alongside the way in which).
Wednesday’s frustrations began early.
Bryan Reynolds labored a 12-pitch at-bat off spot starter Emmet Sheehan within the backside of the primary, earlier than lastly launching a house run to proper discipline. The Dodgers had the bases loaded with no outs within the subsequent half-inning, however got here up empty. Andy Pages struck out swinging at ball 4. Alex Freeland struck out in one other full depend taking a look at strike three. Kiké Hernández flied out to proper with Ohtani (who did play as DH, and can make his subsequent pitching begin this weekend in Baltimore) standing on deck.
Over the following two frames, the identical story would repeat itself.
Within the backside of the second, Andrew McCutchen ambushed Sheehan for an additional solo blast to left. Within the subsequent half-inning, the Dodgers stranded the bases loaded once more, with Alex Name (who changed Michael Conforto in left discipline within the lineup) hitting a dribbler up the first-base line to retire the aspect.
There could be extra missed possibilities to come back for the Dodgers.
Ohtani doubled to guide off the fifth. Mookie Betts drew a stroll behind him. Dalton Dashing, who changed Smith after he took a foul ball off his hand within the second inning, lined out to maneuver a runner. However then Freddie Freeman rolled into an inning-ending double-play.
Name hit a single with one out within the sixth, and Pages grinded by a 12-pitch at-bat of his personal after that. Nonetheless, Pages swung at what would have been ball 4 on 4 extra events in that battle, earlier than in the end putting out once more.
Within the seventh, Ohtani had a one-out single and Dashing, after having his personal harm scare on a pitch that hit his hand, managed to stroll. Freeman, nonetheless, flied out to go away extra baserunners stranded.
And over the ultimate two innings, the Dodgers would fail to threaten once more.
In case you misplaced depend: The Dodgers put 11 runners on base, however didn’t get any of them dwelling. They took seven at-bats with runners in scoring place, and failed to supply successful.
Amazingly, their division lead has nonetheless grown from two to 2½ video games since Monday, by advantage of the Padres dropping three video games to the Dodgers’ two.
The best way the division race has been going, nonetheless, possibly that shouldn’t be so shocking. What was billed as a battle of heavyweights may as an alternative come all the way down to who manages to stub their toe much less.
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