Roberts hopes this is 'rock bottom' for Dodgers' bullpen
Dave Roberts hopes the Los Angeles Dodgers have nowhere to go but up after another difficult outing for their injury-plagued bullpen Tuesday.
"It better be rock bottom as far as how we've been pitching, how we've been playing defense," Roberts said after his team's 10-7 loss to the Minnesota Twins, according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.
Los Angeles began to unravel in the sixth inning after Ben Casparius entered in relief for starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who recorded eight strikeouts and allowed three runs (one earned) in five innings. With the game tied, Casparius faced four batters but failed to record an out; he allowed Minnesota to load the bases with a pair of walks on either side of a Ty France double, then gifted the Twins a go-ahead run by walking Royce Lewis on four pitches. The 26-year-old then exited with a calf cramp but was charged with another two earned runs in the inning after Alexis Díaz replaced him.
The Dodgers surrendered another three runs in the seventh after Edgardo Henriquez misplayed Lewis' two-strike, check-swing dribbler down the line by firing his throw well wide of first base and into right field. Henriquez, 23, was making his major-league season debut as the Dodgers are missing several of their first-choice relief options, including Blake Treinen and Michael Kopech. They're also temporarily without $72-million closer Tanner Scott, who exited Monday's win with an injury and was placed on the IL with elbow inflammation Tuesday.
Los Angeles is reportedly seeking bullpen help ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. However, Roberts stressed that he has to be able to count on the team's current pitching depth in the meantime.
"It's difficult," the Dodgers skipper said. "(These are) the guys we have right now, and they're getting opportunities to make an impression. So that's on them.
"When you have certain guys down, you're put in leverage, bases loaded, nobody out, whatever it might be - you've gotta come in there and do your job. Some guys are, some guys aren't."
Despite losing 11 of their last 14, the Dodgers still hold a 3.5-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West and sit just 1.5 games back of the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers for the National League's best mark. However, since the start of their skid July 4, the bullpen has posted a collective 5.85 ERA - the fourth-worst mark in the majors in that span, per FanGraphs.