The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen has found tough sledding since Kenley Jansen was placed on the 10-day disabled list and that carried into Monday night despite eight innings of one-run ball from Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw was removed at 110 pitches and the ball was handed to Scott Alexander with a 2-1 lead. He allowed back-to-back singles with one out but then had the San Francisco Giants down to their final.
Alexander hit Austin Slate to load the bases, then surrendered a go-ahead single to Nick Hundley. Gorkys Hernandez’s RBI base hit extended the Giants’ lead to 4-2, and another run scored on Max Muncy’s fielding error at first base.
It marked a fourth consecutive game the Dodgers’ bullpen wilted, and matters only got worse. Manager Dave Roberts revealed John Axford is headed to the 10-day disabled list because of a fractured fibula, per J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group:
John Axford has a slight break on the top of his fibula, Roberts said. DL situation.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) August 14, 2018
While he didn’t provide specifics, Roberts said prior to the series opener against the Giants that Axford was unavailable. Even without an injury, he may not have been an option to pitch anyway because of pitching two innings the day prior.
Axford represented the Dodgers’ lone bullpen acquisition at the non-waiver trade deadline and was thought to be a candidate for save opportunities while Jansen remained sidelined.
