After dropping a series against the Miami Marlins at the end of a 13-game in 13 days streak, the Los Angeles Dodgers hoped the off day would help them rebound as they began a road trip against the St. Louis Cardinals.
However, that was not the case as the Dodgers’ offense and Emmet Sheehan both struggled, and their losing streak reached three games.
Cardinals 7, Dodgers 2: key takeaways
Emmet Sheehan unable to complete five innings
Sheehan entered the game looking to continue building on the progress he’s made this year, but instead, he saw things regress.
The right-hander opened the game by allowing two singles in the first inning before balking in the first run of the game. Then he was unable to retire Nolan Gorman, who ended his at-bat slugging a two-run homer to put the Cardinals up 3-0.
Sheehan also allowed another home run to Alec Burelson in the third inning, which gave the Cardinals a 4-1 lead. In the fifth inning, Sheehan allowed a two-out double before exiting the game as he failed to finish off five innings.
The right-hander went 4.2 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits; however, he also struck out eight and walked no one.
But most concerning is that Sheehan’s velocity was down again, this time by nearly 1 mph from his season average and just over 2 mph from last year’s average. The velocity drop has been a concern for Sheehan all year, but it was trending up before this start.
Dodgers offense nearly nonexistent
Offense continued to be an issue for the Dodgers as they both struggled to get guys on base and capitalize when they did. They went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base in this one.
They tallied just seven hits, all of which were singles except for an RBI-double by Max Muncy in the third inning and a two-out double in the ninth by Hyeseong Kim. Their only other run came when Kyle Tucker hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the sixth inning, but the Dodgers were unable to score any more despite the opportunity to tie the game.
This also marks the first four-game stretch without a home run the Dodgers have had since June 2023. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been vocal about the lack of situational hitting when the team isn’t hitting home runs, but they have yet to make progress on either front.
Edgardo Henriquez implodes
Edgardo Hernqiuez took over in the seventh and put the game out of hand for the offense. The right-hander allowed three runs over one inning, allowing two hits and one walk while also hitting a batter.
He allowed a leadoff single and a walk before an RBI-triple from Jordan Walker made it 6-2. After hitting Masyn Winn, Henriquez got a groundout that allowed a run to score as the Dodgers were unable to turn a double play.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
