Dodgers Suffer Defeat Against Diamondbacks and Face Challenges in Their Rotation
Los Angeles Dodgers atraviesan un momento complicado. En su reciente encuentro contra los Arizona Diamondbacks, el equipo sufrió una derrota por 9-5 en el Dodger Stadium, marcando su primera racha de cuatro derrotas consecutivas en casa desde mayo de 2018.
Hyeseong Kim, playing in center field, had difficulty tracking the ball in the twilight. Jack Dreyer opened the game alongside Landon Knack, but both pitchers gave up seven runs in the first three innings.
“We haven’t given up, but it’s normal to go through situations like this,” said Mookie Betts, the Dodgers’ shortstop. “It’s tough. We have to find a way to get healthy, bring our players back. But we’re fighting with what we have.”
Mookie Betts
The Los Angeles team is facing serious problems with its pitching rotation. Three key members, Blake Snell, Tony Gonsolin, and Roki Sasaki, are currently on the injured list, all with shoulder problems and no clear return date. In addition, several important relievers such as Kirby Yates, Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, and Michael Kopech, have also been out since the start of the season.
After 48 games, the Dodgers (29-19) have an ERA of 4.28, ranking 22nd in the league. Their rotation, which was expected to be one of the strongest, presents the sixth-worst ERA with 4.51.
“It’s not the pitching staff we expected to have this season,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts commented. “But I feel like what we still do and have done in the past with injuries, we’re not doing now. I mean, taking the initiative against hitters and keeping the ball in the ballpark.”
Dave Roberts
Dodgers pitchers rank sixth in home run rate allowed and have started behind in the count for 117 batters this season, tied for ninth in the league.
Despite the coaches’ efforts to encourage a more aggressive approach, Dreyer couldn’t keep up the pace. A fly ball from their first batter, which Kim failed to see, resulted in a double that drove in a run, starting a two-run first inning.
The Diamondbacks added another run in the second inning. In the third, Knack allowed two-run homers to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno. By that point, the Dodgers were already down 7-0, a gap they couldn’t overcome, despite the efforts of Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts.
The Dodgers’ offense, which has recovered Edman and Teoscar Hernández, is complete. However, their pitching staff is far from it, which is reflected in the results.
