The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped their first game of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling 5-4 to the San Francisco Giants. They ran into three double plays but also received a shaky outing from Alex Wood.
He struggled early, allowing one run in each of the three innings he pitched. Wood’s command was off, walking three, and he also allowed three hits and a home run while striking out four.
When assessing his outing, Wood wished he would have been more aggressive early in the game and in counts.
“They have a solid lineup against left-handers, so it was a little more difficult preparing for them,” he explained. “I kind of got away from my general plan of how aggressive I am. We threw too much soft stuff early. They had some good at-bats and ended up drawing three walks in those first two or three innings.
“Just overall getting away from what I do best, in terms of pounding the zone and attacking early. I thought that was the difference. I felt much better in the third inning. I kind of got back to doing what I typically like to do. Those first two innings just wasn’t me in terms of plan of attack.”
This marked Wood’s first start with the Dodgers since 2018, after he was traded away before the 2019 season and then brought back on a one-year contract this past winter. He is his own toughest critic and was not pleased with how he performed.
“Pretty disappointing. Especially, the mental side is something I pride myself in. Being prepared, having a solid gameplan and being able to take that on the field,” Wood said. “To get away from what I know I do best and how I pitch, is a little frustrating for me.
“But, got the first one out of the way, we’ve taken two of the first three so far and hopefully we’ll come back and play well.”
The left-hander on threw 69 pitches in his three innings of work, but wasn’t upset that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removed him at that point. “I would’ve liked to go out there for the fourth, but I grinded through the first three innings,” Wood acknowledged.
“First start of the year after a couple months off, that’s the move they wanted to make, so that was fine with me. It’s not like I was cruising through those first three innings. I understood it. But I was happy with the third inning in terms of I felt it was more me with my attacking and being aggressive. It’s something to carry over to the next start.”
Wood also came away with mixed emotions when asked if every loss is magnified during a shortened season. “I wanted to answer yes, but also no at the same time,” he began.
“Whether it’s a 60-game season or 162 games, every single time that I take that field — and I’m pretty confident in saying every guy in the clubhouse is the same — it’s as magnified as possible. You’re trying to go out there, play to the best of your ability and help the team win.
“Any time, no matter the length of the season, that you aren’t able to go out there and do that, is frustrating. I won’t say it’s any more magnified now than it would be in a normal 162.”
Wood will have a chance to redeem himself and get in the win column for the first time in 2020 when likely takes the mound next week against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Pitching in empty stadium
It’s no secret fans are not allowed in stadiums this season due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, making for an interesting game environment, especially at Dodger Stadium, which usually has 45,000-plus fans every night.
“It obviously feels different. When you’re talking about 50,000 (fans) in Dodger Stadium and zero in Dodger Stadium, there’s definitely a difference,” Wood said.
“I think the day game was a little bit distracting from the fact that we didn’t have 50,000 fans in the stadium like normal, because the day games tend to be a little less crowded. It wasn’t something I thought about a lot or was conscious of while I was out there.”
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