The Los Angeles Dodgers used a seven-run 11th inning to propel them over the San Francisco Giants, evening the series at a game apiece and setting up a Sunday rubber match.
And while 14 runs very rarely results in a losing effort, they needed far more production than usual from their offense after a bad start from Tyler Glasnow.
The Dodgers had to use eight relievers on Saturday night after Glasnow lasted only three innings. He gave up five earned runs on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout in the three frames.
Glasnow didn’t have a great first inning due to a leadoff double, but escaped having only given up a run. He got through the second unscathed despite giving up two more doubles.
But it all fell apart in the third. Six of the first seven Giants batters in the inning reached, including three RBI hits.
The Dodgers were able to take the lead with a five-run fourth inning, absolving Glasnow of a decision. But it was an out-of-character effort for the Dodgers 2024 ace, and he knew it right from the jump, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“(My) feel was completely lost today from my warmups to the game,” Glasnow said. “It was just one of those days where I had no command of anything. I knew right away. It was just a rough day overall.
“I think today it was mechanical. From pitch one, it was just kind of, I think my release point is at one place and it’s at another place. It was just kind of all over the place today.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had a tough time watching one of his best pitchers struggle so mightily, but decided it’s better to put that one behind them and credited the team for stepping up:
“Watching Tyler throw the baseball tonight I felt discouraged. He just didn’t have any command. He didn’t have any feel,” Roberts said. “Very uncharacteristic of what he’s done for us this year. For me, it’s kind of just forgetting about it and it was good to see everyone we called upon today in the ‘pen show up.”
Pitchers are bound to have bad starts from time to time, especially when they’ve been as good as Glasnow has been otherwise. The Dodgers are simply hopeful that it was a one-off situation and that this isn’t the start of any sort of downturn.
Dodgers finding ways to win games
The Dodgers still managed a victory over the Giants, making them 6-2 in their last eight. Miguel Rojas praised the Dodgers for always fighting and finding ways to win games, saying that it’s the team effort that makes them so hard to put away.
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