In Philadelphia, the Dodgers’ pitching corps faced a series of setbacks this week:
Firstly, Tyler Glasnow landed on the injured list due to back tightness, raising concerns about his injury history despite a strong start to the season.
Bobby Miller’s woes continued as he was sent down to the minors following a rough outing where he surrendered nine runs, marking a necessary “reset,” as described by manager Dave Roberts, given his inflated 8.07 ERA.
Adding to the troubles, Gavin Stone, the Dodgers’ most reliable healthy pitcher, encountered difficulties in a 4-3 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. Stone yielded four earned runs in fewer than five innings, though defensive lapses also contributed to his challenges. The Dodgers could potentially face the formidable Phillies lineup again in the postseason.
The lone bright spot amidst the struggles was Kiké Hernández, who pitched four scoreless outs during Tuesday’s blowout defeat. However, beyond Hernández’s contribution, the week has been largely dismal for Dodgers pitchers.
Stone’s performance on Wednesday wasn’t without merit. Despite giving up a leadoff home run to Kyle Schwarber in the first inning, he faced further challenges due to defensive miscues in the Dodgers’ outfield. In the second inning, a missed catch by Miguel Vargas led to a double and eventually a run. Later in the fifth inning, another misplay under the lights resulted in a routine fly ball turning into a leadoff triple.
Nevertheless, Stone’s outing wasn’t dominant, managing only three strikeouts while conceding nine hits. Considering the quality of the opponent—the Phillies possess MLB’s best record at 60-32 and rank second in scoring among National League teams—the outcome was somewhat expected.
Given the current state of the Dodgers’ pitching staff, which is also missing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, and Clayton Kershaw, there is heightened anticipation for Stone to deliver against such formidable opposition. Amidst the pitching turmoil, Stone has emerged as one of the few reliable options for the Dodgers to start crucial games come postseason.
Even with Wednesday’s setbacks, Stone maintains a commendable 9-3 record with a 3.26 ERA. His exclusion from the NL All-Star team, especially after being overlooked to replace Glasnow, underscores his consistent performance throughout the season. He has been a beacon of reliability on the mound amidst the growing concerns surrounding the Dodgers’ pitching depth.
Nonetheless, Wednesday’s game highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by the Dodgers’ beleaguered pitching staff. Stone, amidst a taxing day both on and off the field, became the latest victim of the team’s struggle with execution, misfortune, and ultimately, disappointing results during what has been a challenging week.
