SAN DIEGO – It took the Los Angeles Dodgers 15 plate appearances to reach base safely against San Diego Padres starter Yu Darvish. It took them 16 to record the hit, one of only two retired on the previous date, and a total of four that day. It was an ugly day on the field Sunday, an opportunity the streak failed to claim at Petco Park.
The Dodgers have dominated the Padres in the regular season for years. So far in 2024, in three locations (South Korea, Los Angeles and San Diego), the Dodgers have yet to claim a series against them. Again, it was San Diego’s arm that did the heavy lifting.
“They were pretty amazing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Part of that is attacking some of our hitters’ weaknesses, playing to their strengths. But I really think they just mix and match and execute. Obviously, they rose to play and played well.”
And yet, there are many positives for the Dodgers. Even after Sunday’s 4-0 loss, they have won 15 of their last 19 games. They haven’t allowed more than four runs in a game in that span.
Other findings:
Walker Buehler is still trying to find his rhythm
Walker Buehler’s second major league game in 23 months looked like he was still recovering from the call-up. His velocity remained in the mid-90s, an important mark, but the right-hander again struggled to find a consistent feel on the mound. The lack of command and control in the pace of the game was noted. So did his inability to get ahead of hitters.
“We can’t forget that he hasn’t played in two years,” Roberts said.
Buehler delivered a pair of fastballs across the plate to Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jake Kronenworth, who each hit a pitch over the wall for a home run in the first inning. When Jackson Merrill hit on a groundout that extended Freddie Freeman behind first base, Buehler covered the bag late and gave Merrill an infield single.
– It will take me a minute. – Walker Buehler (3.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER) reflects on his performance against the Padres and his journey back from injury. pic.twitter.com/63WCQDO8lx
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 12, 2024
Buehler struggled to get to work. It was difficult to get tickets. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He had 10 hits and allowed eight runs, including a fly ball that hit Padres shortstop Ha-Song Kim in the arm. Their two days ended after Buehler’s 77th pitch.
“It’s just a weird little way to say it, but you have to understand the fundamentals to start pitching when you haven’t done it in a long time,” Buehler said. “And that’s where I’m at.”
The Dodgers continued to preach patience. Buhler’s dress is long. In the end, Roberts said he would “jump.” There were things that motivated Buhler, and his speed was one of them. He felt the usual warmth. After defeating Tatis in the second round, he felt like he no longer had to think about mental boxes to get out and just compete. This will be normal again.
“I think there’s a timeline before you jump off a bridge,” Buehler said. “I think my skills are pretty good and I guess I need to relearn the game of chess a little bit.”
Dynamics in the game by Shohei Ohtani
The relationship before Shohei Ohtani’s big season was simple. The Los Angeles Angels signed their two-way superstar before the 2021 season, then manager Joe Maddon asked him to “be a baseball player.” That meant Ohtani had to talk more in the days before and after his release. Every day, Maddon (and later Phil Nevin) checked on Ohtani’s status. Often, that meant Ohtani would play a lot more than the Angels’ relievers.
Ohtani won the MVP award that year. He almost won it. And, while the Angels were trying to fill their void last July and August, Ohtani played every day until the right elbow reappeared. He finished as the league’s MVP again despite needing elbow surgery and suffering a strain on his left knee, causing him to miss the last month of the season.
He probably wouldn’t have played Sunday even if he was still an Angel. Ohtani felt some tightness in his back during Saturday’s pregame practice and stayed in the game until things got a little worse after his fourth at-bat.
Shohei Ohtani said he developed discomfort in practice before the game and that it got worse during the game. But today he feels better and can hit if necessary. Today he followed his usual pre-election routine without any problems. pic.twitter.com/nEpGRHlXDc
— Fabián Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) May 12, 2024
However, despite reportedly feeling better before Sunday’s final, Ohtani did not participate. It marked his second day off in the Dodgers’ first 42 games.
“They told me I was going to take a day off (on this stretch),” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “So it was a weekend earlier than expected i have
But there was a different dynamic, even with his off day earlier this month in Arizona.
It was a very easy conversation, although it was one-sided. Roberts confirmed that Ohtani needed another day off even before Ohtani’s back began to stiffen; Ohtani didn’t fight him. It’s easy to see why. Your club is fighting hard. The long-term view includes being healthy in October, not just in October. He is likely to return to the lineup Monday against the Giants in San Francisco.
“We need him healthy for a long time,” Roberts said. “Now there is only one game left and his health is more important. So there is no reason to push now. “
Teoscar Hernández was exactly as advertised.
The Dodgers signed Teoscar Hernández this winter to fill two positions: a left-handed hitter and a pinch hitter. He posted a .913 OPS against lefties entering Sunday, and is now third in the majors in RBIs with 33 after hitting a grand slam on Saturday. It’s hard to argue against his value up to this point.
“I think obviously opportunities should present themselves, but you still have to be able to drive racesand Teoskar, throughout his career, has run in races and evaluated them,” said Roberts.
Hernández thought about this too.
“When I signed up here, I knew this was going to happen,” Hernandez said. “You’ve got Mookie (Betts), Freddie (Freeman), Ohtani, Will (Smith) and (Max) Muncie, those guys walk a lot. I knew I was going to hit behind them and have a lot of opportunities with men in scoring position or with men on base. In my opinion, I’m just trying not to do too much, not to think too much about my movement or anything like that. Just get a good pitch to hit it and put it in.”
The Dodgers should be happy with his production in place of Hernandez, as they should be with Muncy (.848 OPS) in front most of the time. A contract extension is something that makes sense for both sides, as long as Hernandez doesn’t lose his value now.
2024-05-14 02:08:54
#Patience #Buehler #Ohtanis #drive #Hernándezs #confidence #Dodgers #Natura #Hoy
