LOS ANGELES — It turns out the Dodgers can actually lose a game. Their 11 game win streak is now over at the hands of an upstart Miami Marlins team, as they lost 11-3 Friday night.
Tony Gonsolin was roughed up as he allowed a whopping 10 earned runs over 3 ⅓ innings pitched to get the loss. After Gonsolin was removed, Dodger pitching ended up only allowing one run over 6 ⅔ innings, which is a killer considering there is a doubleheader Saturday. Gonsolin has not found his groove all year and continues to struggle, but you have to give credit to a Marlins team that absolutely put it to the Dodgers in this series opener. Oh, and I have to mention that Miguel Rojas came on in the 9th inning looping fastballs to Miami hitters and put up a scoreless, 1-2-3 inning.
The box score may actually fool you, because the Dodger offense actually had a well rounded game. I know the score ended up being very lopsided but the Dodgers actually outhit the Marlins despite losing by 8 runs. Mookie Betts, Max Muncy and James Outman each had a home run, Will Smith had a multi-hit game, and the bottom of the lineup each had a base knock. The ability to capitalize on those hits was the issue, and you will have games like this over the course of a season, so it is imperative that they keep building on the production and move forward.
The Dodgers are now 74-47 and are still 10 ½ game up in the National League West due to a Giants loss to the Braves.
Here are my three takeaways:
The Dodgers Have To Look At Other Options For The 5th Starter
It pains me and Dodger fans alike to say this, but it might be time to look at calling up another arm or converting another bullpen piece into a 5th starter in place of Tony Gonsolin. Gonsolin now has a 4.98 ERA and has just not looked the same as his amazing 2022 season despite some flashes of brilliance this year. This team is a serious contender now, and if they want to go far in the postseason, they must have a reliable backend starter to not only get them into October, but produce there too. Maybe they promote a guy like Ryan Yarbrough to handle those duties, but this is exactly why the Dodgers kept some of their top arms at the trade deadline…
The Offense Will Be Fine
A lot is made about the Dodgers inability to produce with runners in scoring position, but in all honesty the offense has not been the issue for this team in a while. We all know that it was the main reason for the major collapse in the division series last year, but this year, even in losses, they seem to hit enough to stay in games. Obviously you are not going to be able to score 11 runs most nights to keep up with subpar nights from the pitching staff, but this 2023 team has shown the ability to put up runs and pass the baton on any given night. This is going to be crucial in order to close out the division and have success in the postseason.
The Dodgers Will Play A Doubleheader Facing A Hurricane
You would think that the Dodgers are playing in Miami this weekend right? Well Friday afternoon, all Southern California teams announced that they will be moving their Sunday games to a doubleheader Saturday instead to avoid Hurricane Hillary. That’s right, there is a hurricane that will become a tropical storm that will pass the southland and that means that baseball will not be played at the brunt of this system. In my years of living, I have experienced rain, but nothing this serious and potentially damaging so it was the right move. With the bullpen needing to come in early, it was not ideal for the starting pitcher to go 3 innings, so keep an eye on how Dave Roberts approaches the pitching situation throughout Saturday. For everyone across the southland, stay prepared and stay safe, and maybe watch some local baseball, as the Dodgers will look to win the series in one day.
Tomorrow’s Dodger starter for the first game has not been announced but they will face Eury Perez in game 1 and Julio Urias will face Braxton Garrett in game 2. First pitch is set for 12:00 PM PST for the first and 6:10 PM PST for Lebron James bobblehead night in the second.
