It’s well past time for the Los Angeles Dodgers to address their pitching problems.
The Milwaukee Brewers completed a four-game home sweep against the Dodgers on Wednesday. Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio singled off relief pitcher Kirby Yates in the bottom of the 10th inning, driving in right fielder Sal Frelick and sealing a 3-2 Brewers win.
With the loss to Milwaukee, the Dodgers have now lost six straight games, which is their longest losing streak since April 2019 (via Sports Illustrated’s Ryan Phillips). Blame their pitching for the skid.
During this span, the Dodgers have been outscored 44-10. This included an embarrassing home loss to the Houston Astros on Friday, where the Astros blew them out, 18-1.
Designated hitter/pitcher Shohei Ohtani has returned to the mound, which should give the Dodgers a boost. In six innings pitched this season, he has tossed six strikeouts and posted a stellar 1.50 ERA.
Ohtani, however, is still getting up to speed following his right elbow injury and can’t carry one of the more underwhelming bullpens in baseball.
Entering Wednesday’s game, L.A. ranked 23rd in baseball in ERA (4.35) and 21st in WHIP (1.32). Injuries to the bullpen have only exacerbated the problems.
Starting pitchers Blake Snell (shoulder) and Roki Sasaki (shoulder) are still on the 60-day injured list, and so is relief pitcher Michael Kopech (knee).
In a story published Wednesday, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden suggested the Dodgers trade center fielder Andy Pages to the Cleveland Guardians for relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase.
That seems like a good idea. Clase, who has been selected for three All-Star Games in six seasons with the Guardians and Texas Rangers, is tied for seventh in baseball in saves (19) through 41 games.
The Dodgers may be hoping their bullpen gets healthy before the postseason, but they should still consider acquiring pitching reinforcements before the trade deadline on July 31 at 6 p.m. ET.
