After salvaging their series against the Colorado Rockies, the Los Angeles Dodgers returned home to face another high-powered team in the Boston Red Sox. Scott Kazmir struggled with his command, and the Red Sox punished Dodgers relievers who followed.
While Boston’s nine runs scored may be alarming, one run would’ve sufficed as Los Angeles was shutout by Steven Wright. The knuckleballer threw a complete-game shutout with nine strikeouts and held the Dodgers to three hits.
“Offensively, I think we’re fine. This is one of those outings where you just have to turn the page,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Friday’s loss.
“You never know what you’re going to get from a knuckleball. I don’t think this is any indication of how we are offensively.”
Turning the page has the Dodgers facing southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez on Saturday, and David Price in the series finale. Left-handed pitching has spelled doom for the Dodgers this season.
“Guys’ track records have shown they can hit left-handed pitching. But for four months we really haven’t had much success,” Roberts acknowledged.
“I think that’s one of those things that might not completely balance itself out over the course of the year, but I think we’ll get better.”
Just as they didn’t have any familiarity with Wright, the Dodgers have yet to see Rodriguez in his young career. Price has only pitched once against the Dodgers — in 2013 — when he was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Los Angeles went into the season with Kiké Hernandez and Scott Van Slyke among the noted lefty-punishers on the roster. Van Slyke was lost early in the year to a back injury and hasn’t looked his usual self thus far.
Hernandez has also scuttled after a success start to the season. He too, spent time on the disabled list. Trayce Thompson emerged as a viable threat to left-handed pitching but he’s currently on the disabled list and not expected to return prior to September.
The Dodgers’ .224 team batting average and .263 BABIP against left-handers this season both rank last in the Majors. Their .301 on-base percentage is 29th, .361 slugging good for 28th-best, 81 wRC+ and .289 wOBA are both 28th overall.
A silver lining can perhaps be found in the Dodgers’ 32.8 percent hard contact rate, which ranks ninth in the Majors. Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Reddick and Corey Seager are the only left-handed batters in Saturday’s lineup.
“We’ve got our work cut out but we’ll be ready,” Roberts said of facing Rodriguez and Price.
