[Music] Dodgers defense ruins strong return
by Yoshi noou Yamamoto in Lost to Cubs the Dodgers have gotten almost nothing but bad
news on the pitching injury front this year on Tuesday however the storm clouds hovering
over the staff might have finally or at least partially begun to clear it wasn't just that Yoshi
noou Yamamoto struck out eight batters in a dazzl four inning one run return from the injured
list or that Tyler Glau took another step in his recovery from elbow tendonitis throwing a
bullpen session ahead of a scheduled simulated game later this week rather for the first time in
months the team might actually be able to do more than dream about what a potential postseason
rotation could look like I feel much better about the rotation tonight than I did 24 hours
ago manager Dave Roberts said now if only they could have done something about their sloppy
defense the Dodgers lost 6 to3 to the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday with numerous
defensive miscues including three errors in a decisive five-run eighth inning contributing to
each of the Cubs tallies in their series clinching win we made a lot of mental mistakes Tonight third
baseman Max Muny said we've got to eliminate that indeed for a team that Roberts hoped would be
in in playoff mode at this point as they close in on another National League West Division title
holding a 4-1 half game lead at the end of play Tuesday the maddening mental lapses in the field
wasted what was otherwise an encouraging day on the mound with Yamamoto at last back Glau looking
increasingly likely to come back in time for the playoffs and top trade deadline acquisition Jack
flarity continuing to bounce back in a resurgent 2024 season the Dodgers might wind up with three
talented starters to rely on after all Less Than 3 weeks out from the start of the postseason the
makings of an actual October rotation are finally coming into Focus it's starting to turn Roberts
said in terms of getting back the rotation that we had envisioned this all of course remains no
guarantee Yamamoto and glas no still have many boxes to check before being Sure Fire postseason
weapons flarity who dealt with back problems with the Detroit Tigers earlier this season still needs
to get across the Finish Line healthy the Dodgers could still benefit from the emergence of a clear
number four starter two currently evaluating Walker buer Landon Knack Bobby Miller and Clayton
Kershaw if he returns from his current toe injury for such a role but if things keep trending this
way the Dodgers potential playoff pitching plans might not be as Patchwork as the team once
feared espe especially if Yamamoto can repeat what he did Tuesday night after missing almost 3
months with a strained rotator cuff in his right pitching shoulder Yamamoto couldn't have been
more impressive in his long- awaited return He commanded his fast ball to both sides of the plate
touching 98 mph on multiple occasions he landed his curveball for strikes and got six whips on 10
Swings with his splitter the only run he gave up came in the second scoring after Freddy Freeman
failed to snag a high Hopper near the first base line it was a much better return start than I
expected Yamamoto said after inducing 11 swings and misses and flashing an uptic in velocity from
earlier this season I'm really relieved I was able to return and Pitch well the fourth inning
was the end of the line for Yamamoto who hadn't thrown more than two innings in either of his
minor league rehab starts in recent weeks Clayton Kershaw trying everything even worse working with
Sketchers to EAS toe injury but the Dodgers are hoping it's the start of a late season Surge from
the 26-year-old dollar 325-b pitcher who now has a 2.88 era and 92 strikeouts in 15 starts in his
debut campaign he really showed out Roberts said I didn't know if there was going to be rust or how
he was going to command the baseball but he passed with flying colors glass no who October status
had been uncertain since going on the injured list with his elbow injury last month also appears
to be turning a corner the veteran right-hander and deao staff a through his second bullpen in
the last week Tuesday impressing Roberts and other club Executives in an extended session that
included his entire pitch mix it was good Roberts said I didn't talk to him about it afterwards but
my eyes liked what I saw Glau will next throw a two three Innings simulated game Friday during
the team's trip to Atlanta if that goes well he could be on track to return before the end of the
regular season an encouraging development for the team's dollar 136.6 million offseason acquisition
who was 9-6 with a 3.49 Arrow before getting hurt to get him in a major league game before the end
of the regular season is a priority Roberts said during his pregame address with reporters Robert
still exercised cautious optimism while discussing the state of the Dodgers pitching staff which is
still without Kershaw who once again played catch Tuesday and Gavin Stone who remains shut down with
shoulder inflammation there's in theory a hope part of this but there's also a realistic part of
it Roberts said when asked how built up Yamamoto and Glau could be by the time the playoffs begin I
think that we're all comfortable in the sense that whatever the buildup IS is what it is and we've
got to go from there so obviously I'd love to say that six Innings and 90 pitches would be great
how realistic that is for both those guys time will tell by the end of the night the manager had
more pressing frustrations with his team's poorest Fielding the main culprit in what was their fourth
loss in the last six games after taking a 3 to1 into the eth Tommy Edmund hit two early home runs
his first long balls of the season and Max Muny went deep in the fifth the Dodgers capitulated
during the Cubs five-run rally reliever Alex vasia issued a leadoff walk throwing errors from Austin
Barnes who fired white a first base on a swinging bunt and Tommy Edmond who threw a ball from Center
that neither short stopped Miguel Rojas nor munzy at third base Coral led to the two tying runs then
the go-ahead Run scored when second baseman Kik Hernandez lost the ball while trying to tag
a base runner on a potential double play it was very uncharacteristic Roberts said just a
different team that I didn't really recognize in that eighth inning Barnes took accountability
for his errant throw it was horrible he said this one's on me the guilty party on Edmund's error
wasn't as clear in the postgame Clubhouse Muny who let the ball get by him at third base before it
dribbled into the Dodgers Dugout said he thought roas was going to cut the play off at Short Stop
I mean it was thrown right at him Muny said yeah I thought he was going to catch it Roberts however
said roas was trying to deak the runner at first base to prevent him from going to Second putting
a glove up as nothing more than a decoy believing myy was positioned to get the ball behind him migy
made the right play as far as trying to keep that runner at first base Roberts said said I don't
know if Max was in the right position to be quite honest and then the ball got by him that's a play
that shouldn't get past the third baseman those mistakes muted The Good Vibes that emanated from
the ballpark after yamamoto's impressive start they served as a reminder of the fine-tuning
left to take place in The Season's final stage self-fulfilling prophecy the Dodgers role in
MLB's pitching injury epidemic still from where the team was just a few days ago when flarity
seemed like their only safe bet to Anchor a potential postseason rotation brighter days might
finally be on the horizon for the Dodgers injury plagued pitching staff it didn't result in
a victory Tuesday but it could position them for a deep October push that one seemed in doubt
obviously it never feels good to lose a ball game Roberts said but I think the big takeaway is that
we have Yamamoto back guns Olen starts rehab in other positive pitching injury news right-hander
Tony gonzoland began a rehab assignment with triaa Oklahoma City pitching two scoreless innings
in his first game action since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year gonan remains unlikely
to contribute to the major league roster this year Roberts said barring a crazy scenario but
by getting some rehab starts in before the end of this year gonzoland should be set up for a
smoother return to the Dodgers rotation in 2025 Tio Scar's return the Dodgers lineup is expected
to get a boost of its own Wednesday with too scare Hernandez scheduled to rejoin the batting order
after missing the last four games with a foot contusion Hernandez was available Off the Bench
Tuesday with Robert's joking pregame he couldn't convince the training staff to Greenlight
the Sluggers return to the lineup quite yet