Dodgers’ Dave Roberts Addresses Inconsistencies of Joe Kelly: ‘Something We’ve Got To Dig Into’
With one out in the top of the 10th inning on Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, reliever Joe Kelly grooved a slider to José Caballero who lifted a two-run homer to left-center for a 9-7 lead.
The Los Angeles Dodgers scored one in the bottom half of the inning but ultimately fell to the Rays 9-8.
While the Dodgers’ loss was one storyline, Kelly was another.
The hard-throwing right-hander had been on a roll, with three hitless innings in his previous three games but giving up a double and a homer left a sour taste in manager Dave Roberts’ mouth.
“His last [three appearances] were great, efficient, strike-throwing,” Roberts said of Kelly. “Today, he got the first out and left a slider middle-middle that was hit for a homer. … As far as inconsistencies, I just don’t know the answer. Sometimes he’s lights out, and other times he labors. It’s something we’ve got to dig into.”
Kelly was handed the loss and fell to 1-1 on the season with a 4.85 earned run average.
Saturday was his first appearance since Aug. 20 and he continued contributing to his opponent’s slash one against him with runners in scoring position which is now at .286/.366/.486.
The game began with Clayton Kershaw allowing four runs on four hits in the top of the first inning. His teammates erased the deficit but it wasn’t an ideal start for the veteran lefty.
“Yeah, that first inning can’t happen,” Kershaw said. “Get behind that much that early, it’s tough to come back from. But our team showed what they can do tonight. They came back and battled. I can’t say enough good things about what these guys did offensively.”
The Dodgers cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 4-3 in the fourth and scored three more in the fifth taking a 6-5 lead.
Ryan Brasier retired the side in order in the sixth, and Blake Treinen survived a scoreless seventh. Michael Kopech’s 10.1-inning scoreless streak was snapped in the eighth when he gave up one run and then Evan Phillips gave up one in the ninth.
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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