The Los Angeles Dodgers dug themselves into a 7-1 deficit against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday before battling back to tie the game with four runs in the bottom of the eighth. That was short-lived, however, as Daniel Hudson struggled in the ninth inning.
The right-hander lacked command but also was hurt by some bad luck as two infield singles and a walk loaded the bases. A wild pitch allowed the Phillies to take a decided lead, and Bryce Harper’s sacrifice fly provided insurance.
For Hudson, it was a second consecutive disappointing outing after being tabbed with a loss in Wednesday’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. “It’s just been pretty bad command. Especially with my fastball,” Hudson said of his recent struggles.
“It’s making me have to lean on some other stuff, and it just wasn’t very good the last two days. Hopefully bounce back from that and be ready to go the next time he asks me to go.”
Hudson began his appearance by getting Johan Camargo to ground out, but then yielded a bunt single and infield single that helped start the Phillies’ rally.
“It was a good baseball play. Came in, he’s a very aggressive fist-pitch swinger, and we weren’t looking for a bunt there,” Hudson said.
“Obviously he’s got some speed, so it was something I was keeping in the back of my mind and it maybe threw me off a little bit. Obviously whiffing at that ground ball up the middle stings a little bit too. Just a frustrating couple of days for me. Like I said, just put it in the past and try to get going.”
Hudson is frustrated to have let teammates down on consecutive days but vowed to be ready the next time he pitches in a game. “There’s nothing I can do about the last two games,” he began.
“It’s a pretty terrible feeling the boys battled back the last two days, and both times it was me that gave it up afterward. Just kind of try to learn from it and put it in the past. There’s nothing I can do about it now, so just try to get ready to go for the next time Doc needs me.”
Why Dave Roberts used Daniel Hudson instead of Craig Kimbrel
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was criticized for his decision to use Hudson instead of Craig Kimbrel in the ninth.
“That inning, by the book it’s the closer at home in a tie game,” Roberts acknowledged after the 9-7 loss.
“I just felt that part of the order, we could get Huddy through their eight, nine. I felt good about him versus (Rhys) Hoskins and (Alec) Bohm. Gets the first guy, and then there’s a bunt single with Herrera, the pinch-hitter.
“We had a ground ball double play, but he ended up deflecting it, and it led to the walk and obviously sac fly. I was going to have Kimbrel for the heart of the order. That was kind of my thought, and obviously it didn’t work out.”
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