Edwin Diaz is out of explanations and manager Dave Roberts is almost out of patience after the latest untimely meltdown by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ problematic bullpen on Thursday.
The Dodgers took a two-run lead into the ninth inning with Diaz, the highest-paid closer in the MLB, on the mound. The defending champions left one inning later with a 5-4 loss to the National League-leading Milwaukee Brewers, who wreaked havoc on Los Angeles’ already beleaguered relief corps with a clutch three-run, five-hit rally.
Diaz (2-2) blew a save for the third time in his past four appearances for the Dodgers, giving up four consecutive one-out singles and three runs.
Photo: AFP
The normally imperturbable Roberts was clearly annoyed after the brutal loss in a game that would have pulled the Dodgers even with the Brewers atop the NL standings. Instead, Los Angeles have lost nine of 13.
When Roberts was asked whether Diaz would be allowed to continue to work through his struggles as the closer, Roberts said: “Give me another option.”
“I can’t just say: ‘Change [Diaz] to low leverage,’” Roberts added. “I have to have other options and to be quite honest, none of those guys really have thrown the baseball great. That’s just kind of the way it is.”
Photo: AFP
That is the dilemma facing Roberts, whose bullpen does not contain a reliever he completely trusts. While the Dodgers’ overall bullpen statistics are not glaringly bad, Diaz’s struggles and a series of poor performances in recent high-leverage situations have clearly taxed Roberts’ problem-solving ability.
“You look back at the last week and guys have struggled,” Roberts said. “I’m not going to sit here and play carousel and chase my tail ... when a guy is struggling, and then when he doesn’t pitch well, then it’s: ‘Why are you pitching him?’ I don’t do that. Everyone has got a role. They all have jobs to do and they all have to do their job. That’s it.”
The trumpets that herald Diaz’s entrance into games have sounded more like a dirge lately while his ERA ballooned to 11.57. The three-time All-Star and long-time New York Mets closer has been frequently awful since returning late last month from a three-month absence for elbow surgery, giving up eight runs and 12 hits in only seven appearances.
“It’s frustrating, because I know my ability,” Diaz said. “I know what I can do on the mound. To not be able to do it [stinks]. I’ve just got to come tomorrow and try to keep getting better.”
Diaz realizes he could be in danger of losing his job as the Dodgers’ closer.
“I’ve just got to see what they want to do,” he said. “I want to do the best thing for the team. At the end of the day, if they give me the ball in the ninth, I will try to do my job. If they give me the ball in another inning, I will try to do my job. Got to get better, be consistent.”
Despite Roberts’ protestations, the clearest option to replace Diaz is left-hander Tanner Scott, who earned 16 saves this season before Diaz returned.
However, Scott’s miserable season last year is still top of many minds in Los Angeles and his performance this season has mildly declined in recent weeks.
Roberts realizes he could consider a closer-by-committee plan, but that is also difficult when any choice will be concerning.
“We’ve got to get other guys on track to even have that be even a valid conversation, to be honest with you,” Roberts said.
The bullpen’s struggles are magnified because the Dodgers’ talent-laden lineup have not blown out anyone in weeks.
Los Angeles have won just two games by more than two runs since July 19, repeatedly putting their relievers into perilous situations.
The Dodgers are trying to become the first NL team to win three straight World Series and their fans still remember their team barely scraping through last season with a patchwork bullpen that finished 21st in the majors in ERA.
Elsewhere on Thursday, it was:
‧ Angels 7, Rangers 0
‧ Blue Jays 0, Red Sox 7
‧ Marlins 1, Pirates 13
‧ Nationals 7, Cubs 0
‧ Tigers 3, Guardians 0
‧ Twins 1, Phillies 7
‧ White Sox 8, Reds 9
‧ Yankees 0, Mariners 1
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