Once-dominant Dodgers Bullpen Unravels Again In Loss To White Sox

CHICAGO — Dodgers left-hander Jack Dreyer rubbed a caller shot betwixt his hands arsenic he walked backmost to nan mound, a sold-out Rate Field coming live astir him.

Fireworks crackled complete nan center-field scoreboard. Digital pinwheels spun. Dreyer had conscionable surrendered his 2nd location tally of nan inning, transforming a low-scoring conflict into a lopsided White Sox advantage.

The Dodgers’ caller bullpen problems persisted successful a 6-4 loss Sunday, overshadowing a bounce-back effort from Emmet Sheehan. The Dodgers tried to travel backmost successful nan ninth, but fell short.

Sheehan was charged pinch 3 runs successful five-plus innings, a monolithic turnaround coming disconnected nan second-shortest commencement of his career, only rivaled by a planned one-inning outing astatine nan extremity of past season.

Against nan Angels past week, Sheehan threw 35 pitches and recorded conscionable 1 retired successful nan 2nd inning earlier manager Dave Roberts pulled him.

On Sunday, he didn’t springiness up a deed until nan 4th inning.

All play long, Sheehan’s velocity has been an parameter of really synced up his transportation was connected immoderate fixed commencement day.

On Sunday, his 95.1-mph mean fastball velocity was 0.7 mph supra his play average, according to Statcast — a promising sign. Results followed.

Sheehan retired 11 of nan first 12 batters he faced, conscionable a deed batter distant from perfection. With 2 outs successful nan fourth, he gave up a double to Colson Montgomery, connected a debased statement thrust up nan first-base line, conscionable retired of scope of Freddie Freeman arsenic he made a diving attempt.

Dodgers starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan delivers against nan Chicago White Sox successful nan first inning Sunday.

(Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)

Then against Braden Montgomery, Sheehan worked backmost from a 2-1 count for an inning-ending strikeout.

Out of Sheehan’s hand, nan transportation looked for illustration it was going to transverse nan sheet connected nan wrong corner, astir loop high. But arsenic Montgomery started his swing, nan patient changeup veered distant from his bat astatine a crisp downward angle.

Montgomery swung complete nan pitch. A fired-up Sheehan buried his fist successful his mitt and shouted. With that strikeout, he preserved nan Dodgers’ one-run lead.

Freeman provided that tally pinch a solo homer successful nan first inning.

Sheehan gave nan Dodgers plentifulness of clip to widen that lead. In nan sixth inning, however, nan White Sox yet sewage to him.

Sheehan’s fastball to Sam Antonacci wasn’t successful a bad spot. But successful an 0-2 count, he could person put it a small higher aliases further inside. Antonacci drove it complete nan right-field fence.

A single, a stolen guidelines and an RBI double later, Sheehan walked disconnected nan mound, nan Dodgers trailing 2-1.

Just a fewer weeks ago, turning nan shot complete to nan Dodgers’ bullpen was a promising move. They were still riding a franchise-record streak of 38 consecutive scoreless innings.

Lately, however, it’s been a rocky ride. The bullpen entered Sunday pinch a 6.71 ERA since ending that scoreless streak connected May 25. Only nan Giants and Rockies produced a worse people complete that stretch.

On Sunday, Dreyer was charged pinch 3 runs, aft surrendering 3 hits. Then Blake Treinen and Jonathan Hernández held nan White Sox nan remainder of nan way.

The Dodgers tacked connected 3 much runs, connected a sacrifice alert and an RBI double from Alex Freeland, and a solo homer from Mookie Betts. They stranded runners astatine nan corners successful nan ninth.