LOS ANGELES — Little went proper for the Dodgers in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Mets. The protection was sloppy, and although the Dodgers rallied to tie it, their offense didn't totally capitalize on a number of scoring alternatives, after which the bullpen allowed 5 runs over the ultimate three innings to finish issues.
“Total, not very optimistic, to be fairly trustworthy,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated after the loss, the Dodgers' fifth in seven video games at residence. “In all elements of the sport, we didn't carry out.”
However within the battle there have been a few pictures of Dodgers slumping, with the time period stoop utilized in relative phrases. Chris Taylor and Freddie Freeman have been scuffling on the plate of late, each being described as “in it” by Roberts at varied factors this week.
Taylor had the worst of it, hitless in April heading into Friday night time, only one hit in 35 at-bats on the season, with 18 strikeouts and 6 walks.
“We've seen this earlier than, possibly to not this diploma. There's definitely lots of swing and miss,” Roberts stated of Taylor earlier than the sport. “Nobody is ready anymore, nobody cares [more]. He will get huge hits when he wants them. For me, I'm not going to leap ship on 35 plate appearances, given his report.
Taylor walked within the fifth inning, however within the third he grounded right into a double play, extending his hitless streak to 31. It began as a result of a left-hander, Sean Manaea, was on the mound to start out, however by the sixth inning, right-hander Reed Garrett was pitching for the Mets. The bases had been loaded with two outs, and the Dodgers trailed by two. Roberts caught with Taylor, as a substitute choosing a lefty hitter (in all probability James Outman at that time) in opposition to a brand new lefty reliever.
This time, Taylor did, singling residence the tying runs.
“It's positively good to get the monkey off your again, so to talk, and eventually see a fall,” Taylor stated after the sport.
The issue with Taylor, when he's struggling, is often one thing mechanical together with his swing, which has so many shifting elements. He described the purpose as attempting to be extra direct to the ball.
“It's not a secret that I've been underneath heaters. It's been a relentless battle for me. So I simply attempt to be extra guideline, and discover the easiest way to do this,” defined Taylor. “The shifting elements earlier than the swing have a objective. It's only a matter of doing what I would like with it. Typically what I feel and do is totally different. Each hitter goes by that a bit of bit.”
On the opposite finish of the spectrum is Freeman, who struck out thrice Friday for the second time within the final 9 video games. His 0-for-5 was his second of the season, after going simply 4 instances all of final season.
It's nonetheless 9 video games since Freeman's final RBI, which got here on April 8 at Minnesota. Since then, he has 5 hits in 37 at-bats (.135/.238/.189). However that's the place relativity is available in, as Freeman nonetheless has a 111 wRC+ on the season. Nonetheless properly beneath his MVP-contending stage of the previous two years, however not all-time low.
Freeman described the issues together with his swing as being rotational in nature.
“My hip is gone, which makes all the things in my swing reduce. I'm within the zone for no less than two inches, and that's it,” Freeman stated. “All I can actually do is hit off-speed down the fitting discipline line or hit mistaken, such as you noticed tonight, or swing and miss.”
Within the seventh inning, with the Dodgers down by simply two runs, Freeman threw eight pitches from Brooks Raley in a 13-pitch battle, however it ended with a innocent fly ball to left discipline.
Freeman not often takes batting apply on the sector earlier than a sport, however he has achieved so a number of instances on this homestand to this point. That can proceed on Saturday.
“All you are able to do is simply come within the subsequent day and work,” Freeman stated. “You will note a brand new factor tomorrow, I’ll hit BP on the sector earlier than a day sport.”
On the subject of attempting to get out of a stoop, something goes.