Craig Kimbrel told he won’t be Dodgers’ closer before Albert Pujols’ historic game
Craig Kimbrel is no longer the Dodgers’ closer.
There. Dave Roberts said so Friday. Finally.
The words came haltingly, with thoughtful pauses, but they came.
“I just think that right now, um, I’m going to keep Craig down tonight,” Roberts said. “And my expectation is, yeah, I talked to him today. Right now the plan is to change roles and get him into a position to pitch in different innings in different situations.
“He was very open to doing whatever is best for the ballclub. So I feel good about it and we’ll see where that takes us.”
Mookie Betts’ pinch-hit single lifted the Dodgers to a 3-2 walk-off win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday at Dodger Stadium.
Roberts comments came ahead of the Dodgers’ 11-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium highlighted by Albert Pujols joining Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth in the 700 home run club. The former Dodgers and Angels slugger hit a two-run homer off Andrew Heaney in the third inning and a three-run shot off Phil Bickford in the fourth to the delight of a crowd of 50,041.
When the sixth inning rolled around, Roberts contradicted his pregame statement by calling on Kimbrel with the Dodgers trailing 8-0. Is the new role of a reliever with 394 career saves mop-up man? It’s hard to know how best to use him. Kimbrel did retire Pujols on a groundout to shortstop.
Kimbrel gave up a home run in the ninth inning Thursday that put the Arizona Diamondbacks ahead by a run. The Dodgers won in the bottom of the inning on Mookie Betts’ walk-off single, which gave Kimbrel the win. That clearly was the last straw for Roberts.
Kimbrel, 34, has blown five of 27 save opportunities and has a 4.07 ERA in 58 appearances this season. Only 12.1% of his pitches swung at are missed, about league average. Yet he is seventh all-time in career saves and led the league in saves four consecutive years ending in 2014.
Perhaps that’s why Roberts and the Dodgers front office stuck with him so long even though his effectiveness had obviously diminished from his heyday.
Roberts said he appreciated the way Kimbrel took the news that he was no longer the closer.
“My job is to find the best lane for him and he has no worries of changing the routine from something he’s always done,” Roberts said. “He looks at it as a challenge. That’s the way we would expect it and it speaks a lot to him as a team player.”
Roberts said no one reliever will assume the closer role for now. Evan Phillips (6-3, 1.24 ERA), Brusdar Graterol (2-3, 2.96) and Alex Vesia (4-0, 2.26) are the obvious candidates.
Maury Wills, who revolutionized baseball with his ability to steal bases and was the MVP of the National League in 1962 for the Dodgers, has died.
“No, for us it’s finding, it’s treating him like we treat all of our guys, putting them in the best position to get outs,” Roberts said. “That’s kind of how I’m going to approach every inning for the ‘pen.”
Phillips, 28, has been the undisputed top reliever all season, giving up 29 hits in 58 innings while striking out 68. He’s in line for closer duty, although his value has been putting out fires regardless of the inning.
Also, he has only three career saves, two this season. Phillips said he wouldn’t treat the ninth inning differently than any other.
“I think the best thing you can do as the guy coming out to finish the game is to provide consistency throughout the season,” he said.
If a closer-by-committee approach fails, the Dodgers face a situation where a new closer must emerge with the postseason around the corner. Phillips didn’t sound like he would be fazed.
“I don’t really value that role any higher than what I do now,” he said. “I think the [Dodgers] really instilled in us that when the phone rings you go out there and get your outs. So regardless of the situation, and it might be the ninth inning or a tight ballgame, however you want to phrase it, my challenge is that when the phone rings, I do my job.”
Kimbrel likely will be used almost exclusively against right-handed hitters, who are batting .208 with a .603 on-base-plus-slugging percentage against him. Left-handers are hitting .266 with a .786 OPS.
Silencing the Dodgers on Friday was longtime nemesis Jose Quintana, who pitched six scoreless innings, reducing his ERA in 12 career games against the Dodgers to 1.80. The left-hander struggled to a 6.75 ERA in 24 appearances with the Angels in 2021 but has posted a 3.04 ERA in 30 starts with the Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates this season.
Tony Gonsolin’s next step
Roberts said injured starter Tony Gonsolin had normal soreness “which is a good thing” a day after he pitched two innings in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium. Roberts said Gonsolin is scheduled to pitch two innings in a rehab game at triple-A Oklahoma City.
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Another home run for the Cardinals
It’s the eighth inning and Hanser Alberto is pitching for the Dodgers. It’s officially become a don’t-waste-the-bullpen game for the Dodgers.
Alec Burleson took advantage of that fact by hitting his first career home run — a solo shot to right field — to give the Cardinals an 11-0 lead. It was the fifth home run of the game for the Cardinals.
The Dodgers are on pace for their worst shutout loss since 2018.
⚾ End of eighth: Cardinals 11, Dodgers 0
Cardinals homer again, take 10-0 lead in the seventh
Albert Pujols isn’t the only player on the Cardinals hitting home runs tonight.
Juan Yepez hit his 12th home run of the season off Dodgers reliver Caleb Ferguson, slinging a 95-mph fastball just inside the left-field foul pole to help the Cardinals take a 10-0 lead in the seventh inning. It was the fourth home run hit by the Cardinals.
After Yepez’s solo shot made it 9-0, Lars Nootbar drove in another run two batters later on a grounder to center field.
The Dodgers certainly don’t look like a 100-win team tonight. With all the woes the bullpen has been experiencing — including the situation involving Craig Kimbrel — is it cause for concern or an anomaly on dominance street?
⚾ Middle of the seventh: Cardinals 10, Dodgers 0
Cardinals continue to hammer Dodgers pitching
After Albert Pujols punched the Cardinals to a 5-0 lead with his 699th and 700th career home runs, St. Louis continued to pour it on against the Dodgers.
The Cardinals scored three more runs off Phil Bickford in the sixth inning. Dylan Carlson doubled in a run before Lars Nootbaar hit a two-run homer to right field to give the Cardinals an 8-0 lead.
Albert Pujols hits home run No. 700
Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hit his 700th career home run in the fourth inning off Dodgers reliever Phil Bickford, giving St. Louis a 5-0 lead.
The three-run shot was another no-doubter, landing in the left-field pavilion. Dodger Stadium erupted in cheers with players on the Cardinals congratulating Pujols and Dodgers players clapping in appreciation.
Pujols then came out of the dugout and acknowledged the crowd.
Albert Pujols hits home run No. 699
Albert Pujols hit his 699th career home run in his second at-bat against the Dodgers in the third inning Friday night, clobbering a pitch from Andrew Heaney into the pavilion in left-center field at Dodger Stadium.
It was a no-doubter, Pujols extracting everything on the pitch for a two-run blast deep into the pavilion seats, giving the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
Pujols is one home run away from joining Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) as the only players in major league history to hit 700 home runs.
⚾ Middle of third: Cardinals 2, Dodgers 0
Albert Pujols strikes out in first at-bat vs. Dodgers
Dodgers starter Andrew Heaney struck out St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols with a 95-mph fastball during his at-bat in the first inning.
Pujols, sitting on 698 career home runs, received a standing ovation from many of the fans in attendance at Dodger Stadium, where Pujols spent most of his 2021 season.
Pujols is looking to become only the fourth player in major league history to hit 700 home runs. He said will retire at the end of the season.
⚾ Middle of the first: Cardinals 0, Dodgers 0
Craig Kimbrel ousted as Dodgers closer
Craig Kimbrel is no longer the Dodgers closer.
There. Dave Roberts said so Friday. Finally.
The words came haltingly, with thoughtful pauses, but they came.
“I just think that right now, um, I’m going to keep Craig down tonight,” Roberts said. “And my expectation is, yeah, I talked to him today. Right now the plan is to change roles and get him into a position to pitch in different innings in different situations.
“He was very open to doing whatever is best for the ballclub. So I feel good about it and we’ll see where that takes us.”
Kimbrel gave up a home run in the ninth inning Thursday that put the Arizona Diamondbacks ahead by a run. The Dodgers won in the bottom of the inning on Mookie Betts’ walk-off single, which gave Kimbrel the win.
Mookie Betts’ pinch-hit single lifted the Dodgers to a 3-2 walk-off win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday at Dodger Stadium.
But Kimbrel, 34, has blown five of 27 save opportunities and has a 4.14 ERA in 57 appearances this season. He is seventh all-time with 394 saves in 13 seasons and led the league in saves four consecutive years ending in 2014.
Perhaps that’s why Roberts and the Dodgers front office stuck with him so long even though his effectiveness had obviously diminished from his heyday.
Roberts said he appreciated the way Kimbrel took the news that he was no longer the closer.
“He’s such a professional and knows that there is more there, more consistency, just the openness to do what’s best,” he said. “My job is to find the best lane for him and he has no worries of changing the routine from something he’s always done. He looks at it as a challenge. That’s the way we would expect it and it speaks a lot to him as a team player.”
Roberts said no one reliever will assume the closer role for now. Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol and Alex Vesia are the most obvious candidates.
“No, for us it’s finding, it’s treating him like we treat all of our guys, putting them in the best position to get outs,” Roberts said. “That’s kind of how I’m going to approach every inning for the ‘pen.”
Rejuvenated Albert Pujols brings his chase for 700 home runs to Dodger Stadium
SAN DIEGO — When the bat of Albert Pujols caught fire in early August, and it appeared the St. Louis Cardinals slugger would make an improbable 11th-hour run to 700 homers, Mark McGwire began tracking his long-ago teammate through the MLB app and tuning into as many Pujols plate appearances as he could.
“His at-bats, he looks like he’s 25 again,” McGwire said of the 42-year-old Pujols, who was a Cardinals rookie when McGwire hit the last of his 583 career homers in a St. Louis uniform in 2001. “This guy is a born hitter.”
But it wasn’t until McGwire returned to Busch Stadium for Matt Holliday’s Cardinals Hall-of-Fame induction ceremony on Aug. 27 that he truly grasped — literally, not figuratively — how Pujols, in his 22nd and final big league season, has recaptured the thunder in his swing.
ICYMI: Mookie Betts lifts Dodgers with walk-off win over Diamondbacks
Four hours before the Dodgers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 Thursday on a walk-off hit by Mookie Betts, the eyes of everyone in blue were riveted on the Dodger Stadium pitcher’s mound.
Manager Dave Roberts and bench coach Bob Geren stood near the third-base line, arms folded. President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman watched while engaged in conversation with Betts. A good half-dozen Dodgers pitchers leaned against the dugout railing, observing every pitch.
Nobody needed to state the obvious: What they were witnessing could seriously impact their postseason fortunes.
Tony Gonsolin, on the injured list since Aug. 29 with a forearm strain, was pitching to teammates Gavin Lux, Chris Taylor, Hanser Alberto and Miguel Vargas. The All-Star right-hander held nothing back, throwing his four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and split-finger fastball.
How to watch and stream the Dodgers this season
Here’s a look at the Dodgers broadcast and streaming schedule for the remainder of the 2022 regular season: