The Los Angeles Dodgers lost their closer Edwin Diaz and their division lead after a 3-1 defeat to the San Francisco Giants. They are now tied with the San Diego Padres in the National League West.
Key points
Dodgers lost closer Edwin Diaz to injury
They lost 3-1 to the Giants
Now tied with Padres in NL West
Upcoming games are critical for the Dodgers
Tanner Scott may take over save opportunities
Los Angeles DodgersSan Francisco GiantsSan Diego Padres
An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts walking to the mound for a pitching change, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz on the mound, Image 3 shows San Diego Padres pitcher Mason Miller reacts upon striking out a batter
An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts walking to the mound for a pitching change, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz on the mound, Image 3 shows San Diego Padres pitcher Mason Miller reacts upon striking out a batter
SAN FRANCISCO â Wake up, Los Angeles.
The baseball season â the *real* baseball season â has started earlier than expected.
More than five months remain before the start of the postseason, but the Dodgers have important games coming up.
Such as their game on Wednesday. Or their series finale against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.
Because a day after they lost their closer, the Dodgers lost their division lead.
A 3-1 defeat to the Giants at Oracle Park on Tuesday erased what remained of what was once a four-game edge in the National League West. The Dodgers are now tied with the San Diego Padres, who refrained from making any significant additions in the offseason as they were up for sale.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said: âI donât think anyoneâs too concerned about the Padres and what theyâre doing.â IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers survived crises in each of their two recent championship seasons, and they could be on the verge of another with expected to be sidelined until after the All-Star break.
Remove Diaz from the equation and the more or less have the same bullpen that was that resulted in them temporarily relinquishing the division lead to the Padres with five weeks remaining in the regular season last year.
Manager Dave Roberts wasnât about to speak a hypothetical downturn into existence, as he downplayed the possibility that his team was about to be subjected to another gut check.
âI donât think anyoneâs too concerned about the Padres and what theyâre doing,â Roberts said. âAs far as gut check, I donât know. Itâs still early. Overall, weâre still playing good baseball. I think, right now, itâs just more of a reset, focus on tomorrow and win.â
Edwin Diaz went on the Injured List and Los Angeles then lost their division lead. Getty Images
Heâs right, but thatâs precisely why these upcoming games are critical. A couple of blown saves over the next handful of days could send the Dodgers crashing the way they did last summer.
But as much confidence Roberts and the front office claim to have in the teamâs healthy relievers, the reality is they canât be certain of how they will finish games. The Dodgers have a number of capable arms, but capable isnât the same as reliable. And at the moment, who outside of fireman is reliable?
Before the series opener against the Giants, Roberts was asked whom he expected to receive the majority of save opportunities.
âI would say probably , if I had to guess,â Roberts said.
Roberts quickly added a caveat.
âThat could change,â he said. âI honestly donât know. Tanner could pitch in the seventh tonight, and Blake (Treinen) could get the save. So, honestly, itâs kind of day-to-day. It really is.â
Ace pitched a hideous first inning versus San Francisco where he allowed three runs on four hits and a walk. Getty Images
As it turned out, Scott pitched the eighth inning with the Dodgers behind by two runs.
Scott struggled as the teamâs designated ninth-inning pitcher last season and was expected to be one of the greatest beneficiaries of Diazâs addition, as it allowed Roberts to deploy him in more favorable situations.
If there was something positive that came out of the loss on Tuesday, it was that the Dodgers showed how they could overcome the loss of Diaz with their starting pitching.
Starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a hideous first inning, in which he allowed three runs on four hits and a walk. Yamamoto registered the last out of the frame on his 26th pitch, which pointed to this being a short night for him and a long one for the bullpen.
If the Dodgers do what theyâre supposed to do, they should finish ahead of the Padres â and everyone else. AP
But Yamamoto regrouped. He didnât give up another hit until the sixth inning and he completed the seventh. From the second inning onward, he threw only 75 pitches.
âI think it shows why heâs the staff ace,â Roberts said.
Roberts wasnât only thinking about this game.
âAs far as where weâre at going forward in this series, I really like us tomorrow,â Roberts said. âYamamoto saved the bullpen, the bullpen is reset and in a good spot.â
Yamamoto found solace in that.
He said in Japanese of the loss of Diaz, âI think these are things that always happen in a season. This happened last year, too, but we all filled in the holes and we managed to win. For example, if I can even pitch one more inning, it might be a small thing in the big scheme of things, but if we can all help fill holes like that, I think it will be good.â
With the season less than four weeks old, Yamamoto didnât sound overly concerned about the Padres catching up to the Dodgers.
âIf we take it one game at a time, I think weâll win in the end,â Yamamoto said.
Roberts voiced similar thoughts.
âI just donât think we really concern ourselves with anyone, to be quite honest,â Roberts said. âAnd thatâs the way we should think about things. Itâs no disrespect to any team. Itâs just that weâve got to kind of keep our closet clean and play good baseball, and it will take care of itself.â
Yamamoto and Roberts arenât wrong.
If the Dodgers do what theyâre supposed to do, they should finish ahead of the Padres â and everyone else. That doesnât mean they wonât be tested in the process.
Q&A
What happened to Edwin Diaz and how does it affect the Dodgers?
Edwin Diaz was placed on the Injured List, which has impacted the Dodgers' bullpen and contributed to their recent loss of the division lead.
How did the Dodgers lose their division lead in the NL West?
The Dodgers lost their division lead after a 3-1 defeat to the San Francisco Giants, which tied them with the San Diego Padres.
What are the upcoming games for the Dodgers after losing Diaz?
The Dodgers have important upcoming games, including a series finale against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.
Who is expected to take over save opportunities for the Dodgers?
Manager Dave Roberts mentioned Tanner Scott as a likely candidate for save opportunities, although he noted that the situation is fluid and could change.
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said: âI donât think anyoneâs too concerned about the Padres and what theyâre doing.â IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect