The listless Dodgers showed little to no fight in the Mexico series finale dropping the final game of the series 3-0 to the San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon. The makeshift lineup proved fruitless once again as the Dodgers stranded 13 runners and went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position. On a day when the Dodgers announced that Clayton Kershaw was placed on the disabled list with a biceps injury I expected very little from the boys in blue and was not surprised by the outcome. We don’t know how long the Dodgers will be without Kershaw but we should all appreciate just how incredibly good they were last year because this year is shaping up to be a lost season.
Dodgers 0 8 0
Padres 3 11 3
WP-Lauer-1-1
LP-Cingrani-0-2
SV-Hande-9
HR-Hosmer-5
The Dodgers wanted to keep Rich Hill and his fingernail away from the Mexico humidity and he’s slated to start on the next home stand. Starter Ross Stripling turned in an admirable performance tossing four shutout innings, but when you have a lineup filled with .220 hitting utility players then you’re unlikely to receive much if any run support. For the record the Dodgers gave him zero. The Dodgers had eight hits, (one extra-base hit) and the top two hitters (Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez) were a combined 0 for 9 with three strikeouts.
The Padres did their best to give away this game to the Dodgers, but the 2018 Dodgers are so dysfunctional that they were unable to capitalize. The Padres committed three errors in the field and stranded nine runners of their own. They were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position but the Dodgers seemed to be unable to get any traction.
The game was a scoreless tie until the bottom of the fifth inning. Dead armed Tony Cingrani allowed a Travis Jankowski single and a two-run home run to Eric Hosmer. Jankowski would later triple and score on a Franchy Cordero single in the bottom of the seventh. That was more than enough to best the Dodgers.
The #Dodgers have a tendency to make mediocre starting pitchers look really good against them. Eric Lauer had a 10.13 ERA entering this game.
— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) May 6, 2018
Keep note that the Dodgers were unable to score against a starting pitcher that came into the game with an ERA above 10.00. Eric Lauer threw six shutout innings and struck out five to pick up the win. His ERA now stands at 5.79, for those that are keeping track. Three San Diego relievers combined to allow a hit and two walks the rest of the game.
The Dodgers are now 15-19 and return home to play Arizona (two-game set) and a terrible Cincinnati club for four games. Certainly getting Yasiel Puig and Hill back in the next week will help things (both players are due to return next week), but that won’t fix the bullpen which is now among the worst in the National League.
The Dodgers are coming home eight games back and firmly in control of fourth place in the National League west. If you’re a sun shining optimist that is still holding out hope that the Dodgers will miraculously recover, or that the bullpen will magically transform into a unit that can hold any lead given to them then I applaud you. I just can’t do it. I’ve seen many crappy Dodger seasons in my lifetime, as you have as well I’m sure and this is one of the worst so far. If there is one positive thing I can leave you with here is that the season probably can’t get any worse. It’s looking like our October nights will be wide open.
I still think it gets worse Scott, but I also think we can sneak into the playoffs.
It’s possible Yueh. But not with the current team. Things must change.
It’s bad enough we lose so many starters to injury, and we replace them with struggling utility players, but what makes it worse is those starters who are still there are mostly playing like ghosts.
This could very well be the result of actively seeking the walking wounded. It’s become an organizational signature.
Last year it was Bellinger subbing for an injured AGon. Who might it be this year? I don’t see them.
This had to be the most boring series, that I have seen, in some time.
I don’t know why being productive on offense is not stressed, especially when they are having a hard time scoring.
Because the Astros have stressed this with their players, as well, as only swinging at pitches, in the strike zone.
Maddan also has his team’s bunting, and he does call hit and runs, too.
This is important, only because Maddan did this, when Friedman was his boss on the Rays, so I think Roberts should feel free to do this stuff too.
And you know Roberts is very familar with all of this, because this was part of his game too.
Pathetic display. No hitting, bad bullpen and unreliable starters…….except on Friday……..
I agree that the bats are not forthcoming, but the real problem is the pitching and Roberts and FAZ.
I heard the Dodgers all had the turista!
I would not doubt that a bit…please can the Kike can hit anywhere shit just be over with. The guy has to be the most over rated bust in the majors……after a little bump, he is joining Grandal on the we can’t hit shit list.