Dodgers Face Bullpen Challenges Amidst Division Lead

Forget about Tariq Skubal for now. The Dodgers have a glaring issue to resolve, and it’s not about their starting pitchers.

The team must focus on their bullpen.

This should be the main concern for Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomez as the August 3 trade deadline approaches. They can’t rely solely on the expectation that Edwin Diaz will return as an All-Star closer after recovering from his elbow procedure.

Skubal would be a nice addition, but what they really need are one or two reliable relief pitchers to finish games effectively.

Currently, the Dodgers are struggling in that department.

Despite holding a 7.5 game lead in the National League West, their performance hasn’t been impressive. After winning 13 out of 15 games, the Dodgers have essentially hovered around the .500 mark, with 6 wins and 5 losses in their last 11 outings. The underperformance of the bullpen is largely to blame.

The Dodgers recently suffered a 9-8 loss to the Pirates, where relief pitching was a primary factor in three of their last five defeats.

In those 11 games, the bullpen’s ERA has skyrocketed to 6.88.

Manager Dave Roberts had to rely on six relievers to cover for Enmet Sheehan’s short outing on Sunday. Their ERA during that stretch was still a concerning 5.12, not counting Sunday’s 13-5 loss to the Angels.

Interestingly, the Dodgers’ bullpen has pitched the fewest innings in the majors this season—just 211 1/3 innings. It used to be thought that a lighter workload could prevent a midseason slump like the one they experienced last year.

This same bullpen managed to achieve a franchise-record 38 consecutive scoreless innings just last month. However, after a recent collapse in Pittsburgh, these late-game failures are starting to feel like more than just coincidences.

“I think I walked more than I did when I was doing well,” Roberts observed. “When we’re on offense and asserting ourselves, we’re better than anyone else. But giving away walks gives momentum to the other team. Instead of needing several hits to score, they can capitalize on just one. We’re kind of stumbling ourselves here.”

That sentiment was certainly reflected in Wednesday’s game.

Shohei Ohtani had a rough start, yet he pitched until the seventh inning with a 6-3 lead. Relief pitcher Alex Beshear scored after an error from third baseman Max Muncy, but the Dodgers still maintained a two-run advantage going into the final two innings.

Then everything fell apart.

Kyle Hart walked the first two batters in the eighth inning before allowing a home run to Tyler Callihan, who had hit his first major league homer earlier in the game. Suddenly, the Dodgers were down 7-6.

The situation worsened as Hart allowed another hit and was somewhat fortunate that a runner was thrown out trying to steal third. Nonetheless, Jack Dryer came in and allowed a two-run homer that pushed the score to 9-6, a cushion that helped when Ohtani hit a two-run shot in the ninth.

“This game stings because I felt we were playing solid baseball,” Roberts noted. “We simply can’t afford to drop games like that.”

The home runs surrendered by Hart and Dryer marked the ninth and tenth hits allowed by the Dodgers’ bullpen in just 11 games. For comparison, in their previous 57 games, they had allowed only 11 homers.

The Dodgers clearly miss Diaz—the player they thought they’d signed to a hefty three-year, $69 million contract last winter.

When Diaz underwent surgery in April, nearly every reliever had to step up, with some succeeding prominently. However, cracks are beginning to show.

Hart, once a dependable late-inning option, has struggled, allowing runs in three of his last four games. Tanner Scott, taking over the ninth inning in Diaz’s absence, has also given up runs in three of his last five appearances.

While Diaz is expected back this season, there’s uncertainty about his performance. Last postseason, the team often compensated for bullpen weaknesses by using starters late. But can they really rely on Yoshinobu Yamamoto to pitch in relief again, especially the day after starting?

There’s still some time left. With nearly two months until the trade deadline, the Dodgers are assessing potential trades. They absolutely need to stabilize those closing innings.