Roki Sasaki exhibits enchancment, however Dodgers bats go silent in loss to Guardians

In the beginning of Monday night time, all of the questions across the Dodgers have been centered on Roki Sasaki.

By the top of it, the priority had shifted to their instantly sluggish offense.

In a 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium, Sasaki pitched surprisingly nicely, permitting only one run and strolling solely two batters in four-plus innings of strong work –– a stark reversal from the 14.50 ERA he posted in a poor spring coaching marred by a complete lack of constant command.

As an alternative, it was the Dodgers’ lineup that had the most important issues, stumbling to a third-straight disappointing efficiency following its eight-run outburst on Opening Day.

Early on, that they had no solutions for younger Guardians left-hander Parker Messick, who went six scoreless innings in what was solely his eighth profession begin. With a cool left-handed supply and unpredictable six-pitch arsenal, he not solely struck out 5 batters, but in addition allowed simply two hard-hit balls.

By the point he was executed, the Guardians (3-2) had constructed a four-run lead, turning issues over to their historically stout bullpen to shut out the ultimate three innings. The Dodgers’ two runs got here in a short-lived rally within the ninth.

Over their final three video games, the Dodgers (3-1) have now totaled solely 10 runs and 19 hits. They’ve struck out 17 occasions in that span, and drawn solely six walks (together with none on Monday).

It’s a small pattern, after all –– particularly for a membership that was introduced a team-wide Silver Slugger Award pregame for main the Nationwide League in 2025.

But it surely has raised a couple of opening-week questions, nonetheless –– creating some eerie similarities to the second-half and postseason slumps the workforce battled down the stretch final yr.

What it means

The Dodgers may need probably the most gifted roster within the majors. However that doesn’t imply they will get away with unsound fundamentals.

Monday was a reminder of that, with the workforce making a collection of uncharacteristic errors.

They’d two on and no outs within the third inning with Shohei Ohtani on the plate, but got here up empty after Miguel Rojas was picked off at second, Ohtani lined out chasing what would’ve been ball 4 and Kyle Tucker went down swinging to retire the facet.

They struggled to regulate the working sport with backup catcher Dalton Dashing behind the plate, permitting the Guardians to efficiently steal a base on all three of their makes an attempt.

And in a three-run seventh inning that allowed the Guardians to place the sport away, reliever Justin Wrobleski dedicated a number of pricey miscues: Failing to cleanly subject a bunt to load the bases, shedding Rhys Hoskins in an 0-2 depend to stroll in a run with two outs within the inning, then giving up a two-run double to Daniel Schneemann that put the rating out of attain. 

Who’s scorching

Towards all the chances, not less than following his disastrous spring efficiency, how about Sasaki?

His fastball command was considerably improved, serving to him throw strikes on 45 of 78 pitches even with a couple of wild misses combined in. His newly added cutter gave him one other weapon, accounting for 2 of his 4 strikeouts. And his trademark splitter remained unhittable, producing a whiff on three of 5 swings.

Granted, the Guardians –– the American League’s lowest-scoring offense final yr –– let him off the hook a couple of occasions, each by chasing exterior the zone repeatedly and failing to punish a couple of mistake pitches in it.

Nevertheless, the Dodgers will fortunately take what Sasaki gave them Monday; an outing ok to maintain them within the sport early, and save the bullpen from being overworked.

Who’s not

With Will Smith out of the lineup for the primary time, Teoscar Hernández was bumped as much as the cleanup spot in opposition to a left-handed begin.

Nevertheless, it didn’t assist the veteran slugger snap out of his opening-week funk.

Hernández did have a success within the seventh, his first since a swinging-bunt single again on Opening Day. He additionally efficiently overturned two strike calls through an ABS problem (together with one that might’ve resulted in a strikeout throughout his seventh-inning at-bat).

Nonetheless, his 1-for-4 efficiency left him with a .143 batting common within the early days of this season –– the worst amongst any Dodgers common.

Up subsequent

Shohei Ohtani will make his season pitching debut on Tuesday, when the Dodgers and Guardians proceed their three-game collection. Regardless of a delayed spring pitching development whereas hitting for Group Japan within the World Baseball Basic, Ohtani must be constructed as much as go six innings. The Guardians will counter with right-hander Tanner Bibee, who was 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA final yr and gave up three runs in 5 innings in his first begin of this season final week.  

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