Emmett Sheehan’s night didn’t kick off as planned due to a PitchCom issue.
Despite that, the Dodgers’ starting pitching looked solid overall.
Yet, they ended up losing.
The 26-year-old right-hander was impressive against the Cubs on Friday, but a poor performance from the Dodgers’ bullpen resulted in a 6-4 defeat at Dodger Stadium.
“He did a great job,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts remarked about Sheehan. “It’s really unfortunate we couldn’t secure the win for him; he really put in the effort.”
Sheehan, who came into the game with a 5.85 ERA, struck out seven of the first nine batters and seemed to have control over every pitch.
Even though his fastball velocity dropped from 95-96 mph to 92-93 mph by the fourth inning, it bounced back afterward.
He went on to pitch 6 1/3 innings, tying his career high with 10 strikeouts, giving up just four hits and one walk.
However, his usual support crumbled in the seventh when Alex Beshear was replaced by Moisés Ballesteros, who connected for a base hit. Beshear allowed two earned runs against Sheehan, complicating his record.
Blake Treinen relieved Beshear after just one inning, allowing Alex Bregman to hit a solo home run, which led to boos from the crowd, tying the game at four.
Tanner Scott gave up the decisive RBI in the ninth inning when Dansby Swanson sent a hit deep to left.
When asked about his bullpen strategy after the game, Roberts said, “I’m not planning on changing anything.”
“We all have to play our part,” he continued. “I just couldn’t pull it together tonight.”
On the offensive side, the Dodgers were slow to start against the Cubs’ Jameson Taillon, but they picked up the pace after Hyesung Kim got their first hit in the third inning.
Following Kim’s hit, Alex Freeland walked, and a couple of batters later, Will Smith hit a three-run homer into right field.
They added another run in the fourth thanks to a single by Kim, but that was all they could muster for the rest of the evening.
What it means
Baseball fans know the Dodgers are generally a strong team, yet they’re struggling lately, having lost five out of their last eight games, raising some concerns about their bullpen.
Who is hot
Hyesung Kim is on fire. After two hits against the Giants, he added two more in the opener against the Cubs. He scored and stole a base. In the seventh inning, though, a defensive mishap from the Cubs actually cost him a hit.
Kim Byung-hyun has recorded five hits, three RBIs, and two stolen bases over the last four games.
Who is not?
Shohei Ohtani is in a slump. The four-time MVP hasn’t found his rhythm at the plate, going 0-for-9 in his last two games and starting 0-for-3 against the Cubs.
During his earlier at-bats, he didn’t seem comfortable at all, with his helmet falling off while swinging.
Roberts commented that he believes Ohtani “could have shown more effort.”
“Of course the results weren’t what we wanted, but today seemed better,” the manager said.
To the next
The Cubs and Dodgers will face off again Saturday at Dodger Stadium at 4:15 p.m.
