Miguel Rojas was in the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup at third base for the series finale against the Chicago Cubs, which was marred by a rain delay that lasted two hours and 51 minutes.
A rain-soaked afternoon at Wrigley Field capped off a chilly and windy weekend, and angered the Dodgers due to the dangerous conditions. First pitch was not delayed despite inclement weather being in the forecast, and the umpires then decided on a concerted effort to get the game through five innings.
The grounds crew did what they could as a storm cell arrived, though ultimately to no avail. But it wasn’t until the bottom of the fourth inning that the game was sent into a rain delay.
Miguel Rojas took particular exception with the umpires’ handling of the situation and expressed his frustration as the Dodgers retreated to the clubhouse. Rojas explained after their 8-1 loss that he felt all players were at risk for injury because of pressure to complete at least five innings in order for the game to be considered official, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“We all understand. We’ve been playing the game of baseball a long time and we understand the business side of it. We’re trying to get a game in because we’re getting out of here and not playing another game in Chicago. But obviously the conditions on the field was improper to play a game after, I think, the third inning.
“I think we could’ve done the same thing by stopping the game a little earlier. We were going to sit here and play the game anyways. But I feel like playing under those conditions in the fourth, I think it was a little bit too much. For the sake of players’ health, we’re not trying to just get the game in.
“We’re trying to play 162 games, get through the season and be strong later in the year. I mean, no excuses. They played better baseball than us today. But I feel like sometimes you’ve got to understand a little bit more the conditions of the field.”
Rojas committed one of the Dodgers’ three errors and he also slipped when running out of the batter’s box. The start at third base was Rojas’ first since 2020.
The Dodgers trailed 6-0 when the game was sent into a rain delay in the bottom of the fourth inning. They’ve endured two rain delays so far in the 2024 season, including a rare one at Dodger Stadium.
Dodgers road trip
Next for the Dodgers is a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins, which is going to be played amid more chilly temperatures but should be free of rain.
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