The Toronto Blue Jays did all the things doable at hand the Dodgers a victory Sunday.
Their pitchers gave up 10 hits, together with two residence runs. They walked 13, a season-high for the Dodgers, twice loading the bases on free passes within the last two innings. On the plate, Toronto struck out 14 occasions.
The Dodgers, nonetheless, refused to just accept the present, giving up an eighth-inning lead in a 5-4 loss that dropped their lead over the San Diego Padres within the Nationwide League West to 2 video games. The Padres trailed by six video games lower than three weeks in the past.
“That is irritating as a result of I simply felt there’s no manner we must always lose this recreation at the moment,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “We had them on the ropes quite a few occasions. And for us to not win is so irritating.”
How irritating? The Dodgers have been one for 10 with runners in scoring place. They left a season-high 16 males on base — six within the final two innings.
Each Dodgers starter reached base a minimum of as soon as. But they nonetheless misplaced.
Afterward, third baseman Max Muncy insisted the black cloud had a silver lining, even when nobody else may see it.
“We have been creating alternatives. So, , we have been doing the primary a part of it,” he stated. “We simply weren’t cashing in at the moment. The constructive you are taking out of it’s we discovered a technique to create a whole lot of alternatives.
“You simply have to complete the job.”
That goes double for the Dodger relievers. Starter Tyler Glasnow was good, placing out eight and permitting simply two runs over 5⅔ innings, turning a 3-2 lead over to a bullpen that needed to get 10 outs. As soon as once more they couldn’t do it, with Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia giving up three solo residence runs within the span of six batters.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers towards the Blue Jays within the first inning Sunday.
(Wally Skalij / Related Press)
“You give good hitters pitches proper down the center, they’re going to do injury,” stated Treinen, who got here on within the eighth with a one-run lead and left 5 batters later trailing after back-to-back residence runs by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger.
“Generally we get away with making dangerous places flip into outs. They made me pay for it and it value us a recreation.”
He’s not the one one who needed to pay. As a result of after Freddie Freeman walked with the bases loaded for the second time to tie the sport within the eighth, Vesia got here on to start out the ninth with the rating even once more. Ernie Clement unevened it on Vesia’s first pitch, driving an 85-mph slider over the wall in left area to place Toronto forward. It was the sixty fifth homer Dodgers relievers have allowed this season; solely two bullpens within the majors have given up extra.
However the Blue Jays’ generosity knew no finish, so Toronto tried to present the win again when reliever Jeff Hoffman loaded the bases with one out for Shohei Ohtani.
However after fouling off two robust full-count pitches from Mason Fluharty, a left-hander with a 5.15 earned-run common and Toronto’s eighth pitcher of the day, Ohtani waved at a sweeper exterior the zone to strike out.
“The very last thing I used to be considering was he was going to strike out. … We’ve received to give you one proper there,” Roberts stated. “Chasing the ball down beneath is one thing we will’t have occur.”
Mookie Betts adopted by grounding right into a power out to finish the sport.
Three innings earlier Ohtani, who had two hits, together with his forty first homer of the season to run his hitting streak to a season-best 9 video games, was thrown out making an attempt to steal third with two outs and Freeman on the plate, ending one other Dodger risk.
“That was his determination,” Roberts stated. “Not a great baseball play.”
Now the Dodgers head to Anaheim for a three-game collection with the Angels earlier than returning residence to face the Padres, doubtless with the division lead at stake.
The Dodgers have been faltering since July 1, going 15-18. San Diego has been on hearth, going 21-13 over the identical span. Amongst NL groups, solely the Milwaukee Brewers have been higher.
Whereas San Diego has essentially the most saves (39) and the very best bullpen ERA in baseball (3.04), Dodgers relievers rank twenty first (4.24).
And whereas the Padres received higher ultimately month’s commerce deadline, making 5 trades that netted them reliever Mason Miller and left-hander JP Sears from Oakland, first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn and left fielder Ramón Laureano from the Orioles and catcher Freddy Fermin from the Royals, the Dodgers barely tinkered across the edges. Their main acquisition, reliever Brock Stewart, has given up six hits and two runs in 3⅔ innings.
The Padres went all in. The Dodgers didn’t.
Discuss irritating.
