After beginning their 10-game road trip by losing two of three to the Miami Marlins, the Los Angeles Dodgers rebounded nicely with a victory against the New York Yankees.
Los Angeles, however, was stifled by CC Sabathia on Tuesday night, and handed a shutout loss. The game was the second straight in which the Dodgers started a rookie pitcher. Neither Jose De Leon nor Julio Urias were particularly sharp in the Bronx.
De Leon managed to grind through five innings, while Urias was chased in the fourth inning. Five starting pitchers have made their Major League debut for the Dodgers this season. The club has also relied on rookie relievers and position players.
Without their contributions, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes the club would be far from the position they find themselves in, per ESPN’s Doug Padilla:
“We would probably be on the outside looking in, and right now we’re in a pretty good spot,” manager Dave Roberts said. “And a lot of it is largely from the contributions of these young players.”
The Dodgers twice this season started four consecutive rookie pitchers. Their last time doing so resulted in four victories, with each starter earning the win. It was the first time in franchise history such a feat had been accomplished.
Beyond what pitchers have stepped up this season, Corey Seager has been among the top performers in baseball. He’s the odds-on favorite to win National League Rookie of the Year, and entered the MVP discussion.
Los Angeles holds a five-game lead in the NL West, and their magic number to clinch the division (any combination of Dodgers wins and San Francisco Giants losses) down to 13 with 17 games remaining.
