Dodgers Highlights: Bullpen Collapses Again as LA Loses Another Game They Should Have Won
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The Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Chicago White Sox, 8-4, on Wednesday night, losing a game they had absolutely no business dropping.
The Dodgers led 4-2 in the top of the eighth inning, but a massive collapse from the bullpen turned into another tough loss. The Dodgers had some questionable decision-making in how they were using their guys, but MLB pitchers should be able to get outs.
The Dodgers led 4-2 going into the top of the 8th inning.
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) June 15, 2023
They're now down 8-4 heading into the bottom of the 9th.
What a collapse by the Dodgers bullpen, and terrible decisions on how they were utilized.
The Dodgers bullpen needs a complete revamp. This is just embarrassing. https://t.co/N4QAXmL3Ih
They’ll now look to win the series in the rubber match on Thursday — but they should have been going for the sweep.
Let’s get into the highlights of this one.
It was a pitcher’s duel early at Dodger Stadium, as Clayton Kershaw and Mike Clevinger worked.
Kershaw didn’t have his best stuff, but he still battled against the White Sox to the tune of six innings and just two earned runs, both via a solo home run. Those came in the second and third inning, courtesy of Jake Burger and Luis Robert Jr.
Clayton Kershaw didn't have his best stuff but he absolutely battled tonight against the White Sox. His (likely) final line:
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) June 15, 2023
6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 12 whiffs, 97 pitches.
Just two solo home runs ended up hurting him. Hopefully the Dodgers can get him some run support.
On the other side of things, Clevinger was absolutely dealing through four innings, but got into some trouble in the fifth. However, with two on and two out, he came up hurting on a 1-2 pitch to J.D. Martinez.
Clevinger had to exit the ballgame, just one pitch shy of potentially being in line for the win. The White Sox later announced he left with what the team is calling right biceps soreness. They’ll know more tomorrow.
The White Sox were able to get out of that jam, but in the bottom of the sixth inning, it all came off the rails. I could explain everything that happened, but I think Dodgers Insider put it best in this tweet.
This Dodger inning saw:
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) June 15, 2023
– A leadoff hit off the pitcher's glove
– 2 fielding mistakes
– 10 batters
– 3 pitchers
– A Mookie Betts two-run single with a 71 mph exit velo
– 4 Dodger runs
The biggest hit of the inning came from Mookie Betts, who hit a two-run single with the bases loaded to give the Dodgers a 4-2 lead.
How about a four-run sixth inning? pic.twitter.com/F0gHH8xhiP
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 15, 2023
That put Kershaw in position to get the win, which would have been No. 9 on the year.
The Dodgers scored four runs in the sixth inning and lead 4-2.
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) June 15, 2023
They finally gave Clayton Kershaw some well-deserved run support, and he's now in line for his 9th win of the year. That would lead the National League.
Unfortunately, the Dodgers bullpen couldn’t hold it.
Yency Almonte pitched a dominant 1-2-3 seventh inning, but for some reason, Dave Roberts decided to keep him in for the eighth. Almonte gave up a leadoff double followed by a two-run home run to Burger, and just like that, this game was tied at four.
Dave Roberts decided to keep Yency Almonte in.
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) June 15, 2023
He allowed a leadoff double and then a two-run home run to tie the game at 4.
No idea why he was left in. His ERA is now back up to 6.75. https://t.co/4FxIw2ZSOY
Then, Alex Vesia came in, and he hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and allowed an RBI single to give the White Sox a 5-4 lead. That brought in Brusdar Graterol to try to stop the bleeding. He was able to do it, which made it easy to wonder why he wasn’t brought into the game in the beginning of the eighth inning in the first place.
Brusdar Graterol is now coming into the game for the Dodgers.
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) June 15, 2023
He would have been a good candidate to pitch the eighth inning from the beginning when the Dodgers led 4-2. They now trail 5-4.
The Dodgers bats went quiet in the eighth and ninth, while the White Sox tacked on in the top of the ninth against Tayler Scott and Victor Gonzalez.
If Brusdar Graterol pitched the 8th inning and Evan Phillips got the 9th, the Dodgers likely leave this game with a win and a 39-29 record.
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) June 15, 2023
Instead, they use Yency Almonte for another inning, Alex Vesia and, after Graterol stopped the bleeding, Tayler Scott and Victor Gonzalez.
This was as bad a loss as the Dodgers have had all year. They’re now 38-30 on the year.
Up Next
The Dodgers and White Sox play the series finale on Thursday with first pitch at 7:10 p.m. PT. Michael Grove is pitching for the Dodgers going up against RHP Dylan Cease of the White Sox.
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