After giving up a nine-game lead in the National League West, the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the San Diego Padres to reclaim the top spot in the division.
But that high was short-lived, as the Colorado Rockies dealt the Dodgers a walk-off loss on Monday.
After the loss, manager Dave Roberts wasn’t shy in calling out outfielder Teoscar Hernández for his defensive struggles in the game and throughout the year.
“He’s got to get better out there,” Roberts said to reporters after the game. “There’s just no way to put it. I know there’s effort — it’s not a lack of effort. But the thing is, we’ve just got to get better. We do. I don’t know what else to say.”
Hernández made two defensive misplays in right field during the game that resulted in three of the Rockies’ four runs.
The first misplay happened in the bottom of the third inning and allowed Colorado to tie the game.
Hernández decided to let center fielder Brenton Doyle’s fly ball to right field bounce rather than dive for the ball. He then threw to third base instead of second, allowing a runner to move up 90 feet.
The decision allowed the Rockies to get two runners in scoring position on a play that could have resulted in an out for the Dodgers. Second baseman Ryan Ritter made Los Angeles pay for the mistake, hitting a game-tying, two-run single in the very next at-bat.
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A similar misplay by Hernández in the bottom of the ninth ultimately cost the Dodgers the game.
After Hernández failed to catch a shallow ball in right field from shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, the ball bounced away from Hernández and sent Tovar running for second.
The next at-bat was a walk-off hit from first baseman Warming Bernabel.
Despite Hernández’s defensive struggles, the Dodgers need his bat in the lineup. However, the obvious question remains where they will put him.
“He’s going to be in the lineup,” Roberts said of Hernández. “When you have a plus-game (a comfortable lead), I think I’m doing a good job of trying to get him off his legs and putting in some defensive specialists to go into run prevention mode.
“But he’s got to keep putting in the work to continue to get better. He’s up third in the top half (of the 10th if the game goes into extra innings), so I’m not going to take him out of the game (in the ninth),” Roberts said. “It’s just one of those things that, the defense is a big part of postseason baseball and winning baseball. So yeah, he’s just got to continue to get better.”
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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9 Responses
So, that’s a good way to cause bad chemistry in the clubhouse. You publicly call out some players but not others. What sort of leadership style is that? Why didn’t Doc calling out Mookie for his terrible hitting most of the year? Or Conforto for being worse than almost everyone in the league? Oh, that’s right, because He “believes in them.” Does that mean we are giving up on Teo? It’s like Doc hasn’t been paying attention to the brewing issues with the outfield until now and He’s getting worried now. Welcome Doc, good to see you joining a lot of us fans in thinking “maybe we need to try something new.”
I love TEO! He is one of my favorite Dodgers, but He isn’t helping us in RF at all. Is He still injured? He just seems off since He returned. The only reason he is there is in RF this year is because Mookie wants to play SS. I have never felt that was what is best for team. Miggy did good enough at SS last year. Between Him & Edman & now Freeland, I think we could have made it work. We need strong outfielders. Just put Teo in LF, Freeland/Rojas/Edman & Kike can rotate infield when they are all back. Mookie needs to be in RF if he wants another WS championship this year. We need his glove out there!
Dixie you are right on. Been saying it for quite some time….move Mookie back to RF. Rojas is a better SS anyway. Mookie doesn’t run the team, oh maybe he does. Doc should quit hugging everyone and kick some pants. Been a Dodger fan since 1957 and have never seen a Dodger manager react like Doc does, not even Lasorda was this bad. Make some changes or forget the WS.
And yet instead of making the move with Teo to play LF, he’s back again tonight in RF. What was that meeting about then if Roberts wasn’t willing to try something different?
“What sort of leadership style is that?”
World Series winning leadership. Teo would be the first to say he agrees with the notion his defense needs improving.
You have hit the nail on the head. The best right fielder is playing SS and the best SS plays 2B or is on the bench. The irony in this is that the best CF who also could play any infield position was DFA’d. Hindsight may be wisdom, but the Dodgers sure pulled the plug on CT3 too soon.
Just hard to believe Roberts could be so stubborn about moving both Teo and Mookie to their logical positions. And, yes, with the teams constant ups and downs, I lament not having the chemistry of both CT# and Barnsy both on the field and in the dugout.
Move Roberts out. He’s a very lack luster leader…
Dodgers batting coaches are a no show this year too..
To all of the comments posted above, you are all right. I have tried over Robert’s tenure to like him, but it is very difficult when he does this BS. Calling out your players in an open forum is crap. His job should be on the line.
But a bigger problem for this team is not Teo’s fielding, it is 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position and a game they lost previously and left 16 runners on base. The Dodgers are going to be in trouble in a short series match up if they don’t start hitting with men on base.
Why didn’t Roberts have W Smith pinch hit last night when there were runners in scoring position?
That was a no brainer managerial move…duh