Jon Lester and Cubs shut down Dodgers, 2-1
The news arrived midway through a 2-1 defeat to the Chicago Cubs, the latest step back for a Dodgers team hovering just above a .500 record. Alex Wood, one of the team’s starting pitchers, would require at least a month of rest because of an elbow injury. The announcement fit the pattern of this season, in which the team’s depth has been slashed by attrition.
An MRI exam on Wood showed an impingement of his left elbow. Manager Dave Roberts said the examination showed no ligament damage. But Wood underwent elbow ligament-replacement surgery before his professional career started, and no elbow injury to a pitcher can be considered a positive outcome.
“We’ve talked about our pitching depth, and the depth on our roster, since spring training,” Roberts said. “This is where it pays dividends. I feel bad for Woody. We definitely hope for a quick recovery.”
Thus the Dodgers will mine the lower ranks of the organization in search of ballast for the rotation. Mike Bolsinger offered a reasonable effort Wednesday, taking the loss but holding the Cubs to two runs in five innings.
On Tuesday, the Dodgers outlasted Cubs ace Jake Arrieta and blistered Chicago’s bullpen. The offense could not repeat the strategy against left-hander Jon Lester on Wednesday. Lester tossed a four-hitter, retiring the last 15 batters.
The Dodgers have held the Cubs, the owners of the best record in the majors, to four runs in three games. But the team has still dropped two of three because of the ineffectiveness of the offense. Roberts expressed optimism about his pitching staff, even as another injury altered his plans.
Wood was developing into one of the team’s more reliable starters. He posted a 2.80 earned-run average in his last six outings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was 6.25 to 1. He held the Cubs to two runs in five innings Monday.
A day later, his elbow experienced a recurrence of soreness. The team flew him to Los Angeles, where he joined a gang of injured pitchers.
Hyun-Jin Ryu (shoulder surgery) slowed his rehabilitation because of soreness. Brandon McCarthy (elbow surgery) has yet to start his rehab assignment. Brett Anderson (back surgery) has just started his throwing program. Even Jose De Leon, one of the team’s top prospects, is on the minor league disabled list because of shoulder inflammation.
The injuries forced Wood into the rotation at the start of the season. Now he has bequeathed his spot to top prospect Julio Urias, at least for Thursday’s series finale at Wrigley Field.
On Wednesday, the Dodgers assembled a jumbled lineup against Lester. Chase Utley sat. Roberts gave Adrian Gonzalez a day off. Lingering soreness in his hamstring forced Yasiel Puig to the bench.
Enrique Hernandez replaced Utley at second base and at the top of the batting order. He ambushed Lester on the second pitch of the game. He hammered an inside fastball for a home run.
For the Dodgers, the night’s first swing was beautiful. The rest were lackluster. Lester did not allow another Dodger to reach third base.
“Jon Lester is such a competitor, such a battler on the mound,” catcher A.J. Ellis said. “We had our hands full. We knew that coming to the ballpark today.”
The Cubs erased the deficit two innings later. Bolsinger struggled with command at the start. He hit outfielder Dexter Fowler with a first-inning cutter and hit infielder Javier Baez with a second-inning curveball. He issued a walk to Fowler to open the third.
“The fastball wasn’t there, early on in the game,” Bolsinger said.
With Fowler at first, Bolsinger hung a curveball to Kris Bryant, the 2015 National League rookie of the year. Bryant hit his 12th home run.
“You’ve got to cut down on those kind of mistakes,” Bolsinger said. “But I was happy to keep my team in the ballgame.”
Bolsinger gave up only two hits in five innings. Roberts sent Pedro Baez to the mound for the sixth after Bolsinger threw 82 pitches. Baez retired six batters in a row. But the offense could not touch Lester.
Roberts declined to offer a big-picture perspective on how Wood’s absence will hamper his club. He stressed the importance of focusing on the next game, rather than the long slog ahead. After months filled with false starts and injured Dodgers, perhaps that strategy is best.
“We’re not going to stop playing because we might not have a starting pitcher,” Ellis said. “Guys are going to continue to step up.”
Twitter: @McCulloughTimes
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