You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize that the National League West first place Los Angeles Dodgers have a very serious starting pitching problem.
Not only is 35-year-old staff ace and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw (very) obviously broken (although he adamantly insists “I’m fine”), but they just lost 27-year-old soon-to-be free agent Culiacan, Mexico native left-hander Julio Urías to the restricted list and most likely (and hopefully) forever.
But wait! There’s more!
Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts have even more problems with only 24 games remaining in the 2023 regular season; this despite having a comfortable 13-game lead over the NL West second place Arizona Diamondbacks and a ‘Magic Number’ of 11 to win the division which, barring a meltdown of biblical proportions, they absolutely positively will.
The Dodgers starting pitching problem became blatantly apparent in Wednesday night’s embarrassing 11-4 loss by the (now) 84-54 NL West first place Dodgers to the (now) 72-67 NL East third place Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park near downtown Miami, when (significantly) struggling 36-year Dodgers right-hander Lance Lynn allowed eight (of nine) earned runs to the Marlins in the bottom of the fifth inning, turning a 1-0 Dodgers lead into that eventual 11-4 loss.
“Mistakes,” Lynn said postgame after suffering his second loss in as many starts. “I got behind, you know, I’m doing pretty well with two strikes, walked a couple guys, and just an absolute disaster. Blew up.
“Can’t happen. I’ve got to be better. I know that. I’ve pitched too long to have an inning like that,” added the Indianapolis, IN native and first round draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008 out of the University of Mississippi.
(SportsNet LA)
‘That inning’ included three home runs allowed by Lynn – a two-run shot by Marlins shortstop Joey Wendle, a three-run shot by center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., and a solo shot by right fielder Jesús Sánchez, before Roberts finally removed him
(SportsNet LA)
“I thought the stuff from Lance was much better than it was his last start,” Roberts told Sportsnet LA Kirsten Watson postgame, convincing no one. “Yeah, I mean, I though he was cruising in a good little rhythm. And then that leadoff double (by Marlins catcher Jacob Stallings), then the home run (by Wendle), and then it just seemed like he just couldn’t make pitches.
“And, you know, looking back at the replays, there’s a lot of pitches over the big part of the plate and unfortunately it went out of the ballpark,” Roberts astutely added.
Yes, they did.
There is no kind or gentle way to put it. If the Dodgers do not get starting pitching help between now and the end of the regular season, it is very unlikely that they will get beyond the first round of the postseason against the NL East first place Atlanta Braves, against whom they just lost three of four at Dodger Stadium – including one by Lance Lynn.
Fire away.
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