The Dodgers’ pitching situation has become increasingly ugly this weekend after manager Dave Roberts announced Saturday that ace right-hander Tyler Glasnow will likely miss the rest of the season.
But, in back-to-back losses to the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, the team’s on-field play hasn’t been much better.
“In totality, it’s not clean baseball,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s not the baseball I’m used to watching, we’re used to playing.”
On Saturday night, the Dodgers could do little right in a 10-1 defeat that didn’t even feel that close.
Jack Flaherty, who has ascended to a de facto No. 1 role in the rotation since being acquired at the trade deadline, had his worst start in Dodger blue, giving up four runs in an 83-pitch outing that ended after the third.
Read more: Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow ‘highly unlikely’ to return this season after setback
The Dodgers’ defense didn’t offer much help, with misplays and missed opportunities in the field aiding a three-run rally for the Braves (81-67) in the second and a six-run outburst in the sixth.
And, in a continuation of their recent regression at the plate, the lineup offered little resistance against National League Cy Young favorite Chris Sale, managing just seven hits in what was their seventh game out of the last nine scoring fewer than five runs.
“You know it’s gonna be a tough battle,” outfielder Mookie Betts said of facing Sale, who yielded just one run in six innings. “Just didn’t really apply much pressure on him.”
Flaherty’s struggles were most alarming Saturday for the Dodgers (87-61), especially given his ever-increasing importance as one of only two frontline pitchers currently available for the club (alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who recently returned from a shoulder injury).
Struggling with his command from the start, Flaherty gave up one run in a 27-pitch first inning. He had to work around a two-out double in an 18-pitch second. Then, he got little help behind him in a sloppy 38-pitch third.
Jorge Soler led off the frame with a double to right, hitting a deep fly ball Betts couldn’t catch on the run in right.
“I just missed it, man,” Betts said. “Just went after it and I missed it, misjudged.”
Then, after a walk to Marcell Ozuna, Flaherty dialed up a potential double-play ball that Miguel Rojas booted at shortstop, managing to turn only one out at second base.
That set the stage for the…