Bullpen Can’t Give Dodgers a Break in 6-4 Loss to Yankees
As the Miami Heat overcame a seemingly insurmountable lead against the Spurs last night, they needed just about everything to fall their way to complete a comeback.
Missed free throws.
Offensive rebounds.
Ridiculous threes.
Check, check and check and before we knew it, we were headed for game seven.
Well, the Dodgers should start taking notes.
In a season marred by injuries and disappointment before the emergence of Yasiel Puig, the Dodgers have found themselves in an equally disheartening hole.
Like the Heat, they need some things to start going their way.
Unlike the Heat, they’re not getting it.
In Wednesday’s loss to the Yankees, the Dodgers were good enough to win, but another collapse from the bullpen spelled doom as the Dodgers fell 6-4.
After an average performance from Hyun-Jin Ryu, the Dodgers simply got unlucky — like they have so often this season.
In the first four innings, Ryu had given up just three hits — naturally, however, all three came consecutively as the Yankees jumped out to an early 2-0 lead.
As usual, the Dodger offense was doomed by their inability to capitalize on opportunities.
In the fourth, the Dodgers had runners at second and third with no outs. And they didn’t score.
In the eighth, it was runners at first and second with no outs. And they didn’t score.
But what really brought about their downfall on Wednesday was another dreadful bullpen experience.
With Ryu gone after six, the Dodgers turned to JP Howell to keep them within one run (score was 3-2 at the time).
After a groundout, Howell gave up back to back singles and gave way to Ronald Bellisario.
On an easy pop-up to Bellisario, he mysteriously let the ball drop (clearly forgetting that catching the ball results in an out).
But wait, there’s more.
After the ball trickled between his legs, Bellisario checked first before wheeling and throwing towards second base. Except he missed six feet to the left.
With two errors on the play, the lead was extended to 4-2.
As if that wasn’t enough, Bellisario plunked the next batter before giving way to Paco Rodriguez.
Naturally, the first batter up put a two-run single into left field and a 3-2 lead had quickly become a 6-2 lead in just 1/3 of an inning.
A Hanley Ramirez home run (his fourth hit of the game) brought the score to 6-4, but with Mariano Rivera on the mound in the ninth, the Dodgers wouldn’t get any closer.
Like the Heat were with 28 seconds left in the fourth, the Dodgers are in trouble.
And like the Heat, the Dodgers need a break.
Unfortunately, as long as the bullpen continues along at this rate, there isn’t a break coming anytime soon.
