The Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen game didn’t go according to plan as they suffered a 7-3 loss in the rubber match against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
The Dodgers are now back at home after finishing their road trip with a disappointing 2-4 record. L.A. went 4-6 on their previous road trip, and for the season, are just 17-19 away from Dodger Stadium.
On the flip side, the Dodgers have thrived at home behind a 20-10 record and MLB-best 3.03 ERA. It’s been a tale of two results as the team’s 5.70 ERA on the road is the second-highest behind the historically bad Oakland Athletics.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes the club’s pitching staff has to do a better job at preventing runs away from home, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I think if you kind of look at how it’s been on the road, I think it’s been on the run prevention side,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged. “I think consistently at home, on the road, we’re putting up runs, giving ourselves a chance to win. But kind of overarching, whether it’s starter, reliever, I think it’s on the run prevention side. That’s something that we’re trying to figure it out and hopefully come up with some answers. You’re still gonna have to play road games. We gotta figure this thing out.”
To the Dodgers’ credit, they were plagued by some bad luck on their most recent road trip. All but one of their losses came in walk-off fashion, and Sunday’s defeat involved the Phillies scoring several runs on soft contact.
While the Dodgers must address their struggles on the road, they have an opportunity to get back on track by playing nine of their next 11 games at home.
Dave Roberts: Dodgers bullpen has to ‘be better’
After their first walk-off loss to the Cincinnati Reds last week, Roberts was particularly critical of Caleb Ferguson but noted the Dodgers bullpen as a whole must improve.
The Dodgers bullpen currently ranks 27th overall in ERA (4.76), 28th in batting average against (.254) and 23rd in WHIP (1.36).
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