When the Los Angeles Dodgers reached the first quarter mark of the 2019 season, manager Dave Roberts said he was pleased with this team’s play but believed they were capable of improving. As the one-third mark approached, Justin Turner expressed a similar sentiment.
Roberts noted the Dodgers as a whole could reach a higher level. Turner noted Cody Bellinger’s prolific success has come while others in the lineup have not yet found their rhythm. While Roberts’ and Turner’s remarks may hold true, one could argue the bullpen is where trouble lies.
It was an issue in Tuesday’s loss to the New York Mets, as the Dodgers failed to keep the game tied after Rich Hill allowed two runs over six innings. Roberts used four separate relief pitchers in a disastrous seventh inning.
In light of another rocky performance for the Dodgers bullpen, Hill offered advice for the unit and stated his confidence in the group, via Cary Osborne of Dodger Insider
“The aggressiveness, sometimes we may lose that a touch and become a little bit snakebit sometimes. And I know I’ve gone through that in my career,” Hill said. “The best way to combat that is to become more aggressive, and the more aggressive you become the more you find out what your abilities really are. I see that in our guys. I see the aggressiveness there. I know it’s there. We’ve seen it. And it will be there. I have 100 percent confidence in our bullpen. We have a tremendous amount of arms down there. Guys that have been doing the job and can do the job.”
Hill left Tuesday’s start with the game tied at two. Yimi Garcia walked the leadoff man in the seventh inning and promptly gave way to Dylan Floro. His walk and throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt loaded the bases with nobody out.
Floro struck out J.D. Davis, then was replaced by Scott Alexander. The groundball specialist was unable to live up to his reputation — albeit one that’s become shaky of late — and surrendered a go-ahead grand slam to Michael Conforto.
Hill has now personally watched two straight starts end in a loss because the bullpen could not keep the opponent off the scoreboard. On May 22, Floro and Caleb Ferguson combined to allow seven runs in the seventh inning after Hill held the Tampa Bay Rays to one run over six frames.
Even with the loss, the Dodgers have won eight of the last 10. Hill’s quality start was the 14th turned in over the club’s last 15 games. Some relievers and the bullpen as a whole have had their positive moments during that stretch but generally failed to consistently meet the bar set by the starters.
