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Short on arms, Dodgers & Tigers turn to ‘pens in finale
One thing is certain about Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers: both managers will be making plenty of pitching changes.
Injury Impact on Teams
Both teams are treating the series finale in Detroit as a bullpen day. The Tigers have named right-handed reliever Beau Brieske as their opener, while the Dodgers have yet to name a starter. Injuries have wreaked havoc on the Dodgers’ rotation. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, and Walker Buehler are all on the injured list and at various stages of rehab. Additionally, ESPN reported that right-hander Dustin May, who hasn’t pitched this season due to arm surgery, will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn esophagus. The Tigers have their own injury issues, with starter Casey Mize on the injured list and Jack Flaherty missing a recent start. Kenta Maeda has been moved to the bullpen after giving up a combined 15 runs in 6 1/3 innings in two July starts. “I think both teams would lobby to play seven innings (Sunday),” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said. “We’re both pretty beat up with a bullpen game coming.”
Pitching Matchup
Beau Brieske has given up two runs on seven hits over eight innings in three career appearances against Los Angeles, including one start. A former starter (all 15 appearances were starts in his rookie 2022 season), Brieske is 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA in 18 appearances this season.
Recap of Previous Games in Series
The teams have split the first two games of the series. Shohei Ohtani’s two-out RBI double in the ninth was decisive in the Dodgers’ 4-3 series-opening victory on Friday night. The Dodgers seemed headed for another win with a 9-4 lead in the ninth inning on Saturday afternoon. However, Detroit staged an improbable rally, with Colt Keith capping a five-run inning with a two-run homer. Gio Urshela’s two-run homer in the 10th gave the Tigers an 11-9 win. “There have been some really fun wins, but this is going to rank right up there,” Hinch said. “You can never be mad after a win, but you can be a little extra excited after a win like today.”
Key Player Contributions and Insights
Keith, a rookie, also had a two-run double among his three hits. He has six multi-hit games this month, as well as five of his nine homers. “We’re a scrappy team,” Keith said. “We’ve had a lot of ninth-inning wins (19 come-from-behind wins) this year. We will come back and at least give ourselves a chance. That’s what we did. We never gave up. Down 9-4, I felt like there was no change in the dugout. No falter.” The Tigers will enter the All-Star break under the .500 mark, but they’re headed in the right direction with seven wins in the last nine games. The latest one was their best yet. “I don’t know how to appropriately comment on this game other than it’s an amazing feeling to see the guys happy inside that clubhouse,” Hinch said. “What a comeback.”
Dodgers’ Perspective
It was a much different story in the other clubhouse. The Dodgers were stunned to lose in that fashion — they’re 1-5 in the last six games. “With a five-run lead, especially the way we’ve been rolling, we have to win that game,” Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes said. The Dodgers had been 48-0 when leading after eight innings this season. “We had a five-run lead and there’s just no excuse for us losing that game,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We’ve just got to be better.” Ohtani, who scored three runs on Saturday, reached a career milestone with his 200th homer — the first Japanese-born player to reach that plateau. “He’s having a tremendous, MVP-type season. Two hundred homers with how short he’s been in the big leagues … and take away some of the IL time,” Roberts said. “How he’s done it so quickly is pretty remarkable, and he legged out a triple. Unfortunately, we couldn’t celebrate that 200-homer accomplishment with a win.”
Conclusion
The Dodgers and Tigers will rely heavily on their bullpens in the series finale due to injuries. With Beau Brieske starting for Detroit and the Dodgers yet to name a starter, fans can expect frequent pitching changes and strategic play. Both teams aim to secure a win before the All-Star break, adding to the excitement and competitiveness of this crucial game.
