Dodgers Pitching Struggles Tied To Falling Behind In Counts, Ebbs & Flows Of Long Season

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a number of issues they need to address to get out of an extended rut they find themselves in.

The pitching staff as a whole has performed fairly well lately, ranking in the top 10 of ERA in the last 30 days. However, the Dodgers bullpen has failed to protect multiple leads, and often that’s fueled by falling behind in counts, which has become a noticeable trend recently.

“I like getting the first hitter out of an inning. I think just kind of take care of business,” manager Dave Roberts answered when asked what is key for Dodgers relievers to right the ship.

For Dalton Rushing, some of the troubles lately are merely part of a long season.

“It’s baseball,” Rushing said. “Every team is going to go through this. Every pitching staff is going to go through this. Every offense, whatever aspect you want to look at it from, everyone is going to go through it.

“Sadly, we’re wearing it right now but we know what we have to do to be ready to play in October. I think tomorrow is step one toward getting on the right track to being ready to compete in the playoffs.”

Pitching from behind has been highlighted as of late, but it’s part of a larger trend for the Dodgers’ pitching staff this season. They rank among the worst in the Majors when it comes to pitching behind in the count.

Despite the handicap, they are around the middle of the pack in terms of ERA.

It is worth noting that the Dodgers haven’t had a fully healthy rotation for most of the season. The recent return of top starters likely explains the improved ERA over the past 30 days.

Dave Roberts not concerned with Dodgers bullpen

The returns of Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have proved to be a significant boost for the Dodgers’ starting rotation. The organization will be hoping for similar returns from their injured relievers.

However, relying on a significant number of pitchers returning from injury this late in the season does put the Dodgers in a precarious position.

Roberts sees potential risk with the scenario, but feels confident that the injured relievers will have enough time to prepare for the postseason.

“It’s certainly an added layer of uncertainty, but guys like Kopech, Yates, Tanner, these are guys that have been around for quite some time,” Roberts said. “To get them back end of August, something like that, is plenty of time to get these guys back on track. Kirby is going to throw live tomorrow and Tanner is going to potentially do one on Thursday.

“So to get these guys back, that is encouraging. I’m not too concerned about them once they get back.”