by Cary Osborne
Many numbers will show that the Dodgers are the best hitting team in the Major Leagues — MLB-leading batting average, home runs, batting average with runners in scoring position. But the offense has hit that rough patch.
The Dodgers have scored one run over two games in St. Louis. They are 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position. They have also lost both games.
The Dodgers were beaten 2–1 on Saturday. They were 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position in the game.
They had a patch like this last year — two runs over two losses in Cincinnati where they went 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
Other current first-place teams have had a similar two-game struggle this season:
· New York Mets (May 19–20): one run, 1-for-15 w/RISP, two losses
· Detroit Tigers (May 22–23), one run, 1-for-14 w/RISP, two losses
· Houston Astros (April 25 and 26): zero runs, 1-for-12 w/RISP, two losses
Further uncharacteristic was St. Louis scored both runs off reliever Ben Casparius, who came into the game off a string of pivotal performances — including 2 2/3 shutout innings against the Mets on Tuesday.
“The way things are going right now, our margin is small, and we’ve got to find a way to capitalize on whatever opportunities we do get,” said manager Dave Roberts. “And recently, we haven’t. And when Yoshi pitches the way he did, to go six scoreless, you’d like to think you’re going to come away with a win right there.”
Yamamoto throws six shutout innings
Yoshinobu Yamamoto stranded two runners in the fifth inning and left the bases loaded in the second. St. Louis was 0-for-4 against him with runners in scoring position.
The Dodgers are now 8–5 in his starts. They have lost three games in which he has allowed one earned run or fewer.
Yamamoto entered the game with the fifth-worst run support for a starting pitcher in the Majors.
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The lone run
Shohei Ohtani bounced a single off second base with one out in the top of the ninth inning. He later scored on a strikeout-wild pitch. It’s his Major League-leading 66th run scored this season.
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The Dodgers left Mookie Betts on second base to end the ninth inning.
The Dodgers ended an inning with a runner in scoring position six times on Saturday.
Gonsolin heads to IL, Yates and Kopech return
The Dodgers activated right-handed pitchers Michael Kopech and Kirby Yates from the injured list, designated right-handed pitcher Chris Stratton for assignment and placed right-handed pitcher Tony Gonsolin on the injured list with right elbow discomfort before the game.
Kopech has yet to pitch in the Majors this season. Yates was placed on the injured list on May 18 with a right hamstring injury.
Gonsolin in seven starts has a 5.00 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 36 innings.
“We didn’t see him making his next start,” Roberts said. “And so it just seemed like the logical thing given where the pitching is at — a guy that’s not going to make his next start to get him offline, give him a handful of days to not play catch. Hopefully, that pain, discomfort, subsides and get him throwing again and see where it takes us.”
The roaring offensive engine has stalled in St. Louis was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.