Emmet Sheehan’s dazzling debut thwarted by Dodgers’ bullpen in loss to Giants
Entering the season, the Dodgers’ dependence on young starters seemed like the biggest potential pitfall facing their pitching staff.
In a disheartening 7-5 defeat to the San Francisco Giants on Friday night, though, it was abundantly clear the real holes are in the bullpen.
Despite getting six no-hit innings from debuting right-hander Emmet Sheehan, a few dazzling plays from the defense behind him, and taking a 4-0 lead into the seventh inning, the Dodgers watched their bullpen blow the game. Again.
Brusdar Graterol gave up a two-run homer in the seventh. Victor González and Tayler Scott were the culprits for a disastrous three-run rally in the eighth.
Giants hold on in the 11th to defeat the Dodgers 7-5
⚾ Giants 7, Dodgers 5 — FINAL (11 innings)
Top of the 11th: Facing Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia, Mike Yastrzemski flied out to deep center, giving ghost runner Patrick Bailey barely enough time to beat James Outman’s throw to third. Vesia walked Luis Matos. Brandon Crawford followed with a single to right field, scoring Bailey to give the Giants the lead. Austin Slater hit a run-scoring single to right — his third hit tonight. Thairo Estrada struck out on Vesia’s 31st pitch of the inning.
Bottom of the 11th: Jakob Junis took the mound for the Giants and got Miguel Rojas to ground out to short.
What followed was a strange, error-filled sequence. Betts hit a popup in the infield that should have been a routine out. There was miscommunication between Giants third baseman Casey Schmitt, catcher Patrick Bailey and Junis. The ball bounced off Schmitt’s glove and fell. Junis threw the ball into right field while trying to get Betts at first. After the Giants retrieved the ball, they eventually caught ghost runner Michael Busch in a rundown between third and home while Betts slipped in to third. Betts running past second appeared to initiate Busch’s decision to start for home.
Freddie Freeman, the hero of the Dodgers’ walk-off win over the Chicago White Sox in the 11th inning Thursday, struck out to end the game.
Dodgers and Giants tied 5-5 after 10 innings
⚾ Giants 5, Dodgers 5 — End of the 10th
Top of the 10th: Caleb Ferguson got the call from the bullpen and hit Thairo Estrada with a pitch. David Villar bunted into a popup between the third and home. Casey Schmitt grounded to the pitcher’s mound, forcing ghost runner Joc Pederson out at third. Patrick Bailey popped out in foul territory to Will Smith.
Bottom of the 10th: James Outman flied out to short. Taylor Rogers intentionally walked Miguel Vargas to get a lefty-lefty matchup with Michael Busch, who lined out to right and moved ghost runner J.D. Martinez to third. Pinch-hitter Austin Barnes, the last player available off the Dodgers’ bench, struck out on three pitches, sending the game to the 11th inning.
Dodgers rally to send the game into the 10th inning
⚾ Giants 5, Dodgers 5 — End of the ninth
Top of the ninth: Nick Robertson took over on the mound for the Dodgers and walked Luis Matos. Brandon Crawford grounded into a double play before Austin Slater singled on a lightly hit grounder that bounced off third base. Joc Pederson grounded out to second.
Bottom of the ninth: Facing Giants closer Camilo Doval, Dodgers pinch-hitter Jason Heyward popped out in foul territory in front of first. Miguel Rojas singled on a grounder into center, then promptly stole second. Mookie Betts extended hit hitting streak to 11 games with a scorching grounder through the left side for a single, moving Rojas to third. Freddie Freeman hit a first-pitch flare to shallow right, bringing home Rojas to tie the game.
Giants catcher Patrick Bailey threw out Mookie Betts at third after Betts tried to steal third. Will Smith drew a walk from Doval. J.D. Martinez struck out on three pitches, sending the game into the 10th inning.
Giants take lead as Dodgers bullpen crumbles
⚾ Giants 5, Dodgers 4 — End of the eighth
Top of the eighth: Dodgers reliever Victor González walked Luis Matos before Brandon Crawford hit into a force out at second. Austin Slater followed with a line drive to right. Joc Pederson drove in Crawford on a single to left. Jonny DeLuca’s throw home got past Will Smith for an error on the catcher, allowing runners to advance to second and third. Crawford’s single ended González’s relief stint.
Facing Dodgers reliever Tayler Scott, Thairo Estrada hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Slater to tie the game. Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas couldn’t quickly corral a scorching grounder by Corey Schmitt for a single, allowing Pederson to score and give the Giants their first lead. Scott struck out Mike Yastrzemski to end the inning.
After Dodgers starter Emmett Sheehan only allowed two batters to reach base over six innings, the Dodgers bullpen has allowed nine batters to reach base over two innings.
Bottom of the eighth: Facing Giants reliever Tyler Rogers, J.D. Martinez grounded out. James Outman singled on a grounder to left. Miguel Vargas grounded into a force out at second and Michael Busch grounded out to Rogers.
Giants hit two-run home run off Brusdar Graterol in seventh
⚾ Dodgers 4, Giants 2 — End of the seventh
Top of the seventh: Taking over for Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan in the seventh, Brusdar Graterol gave up a leadoff single to Thairo Estrada. After striking out Michael Conforto, Graterol gave up a two-run home run to Wilmer Flores. Patrick Bailey grounded out to short and Mike Yastrzemski struck out.
Bottom of the seventh: The Dodgers are retired in order.
Emmet Sheehan hasn’t allowed a hit through six innings for Dodgers
⚾ Dodgers 4, Giants 0 — End of the sixth
Top of the sixth: Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan still hasn’t allowed a hit in his major-league debut. Brandon Crawford grounded out and LaMonte Wade Jr. lined out. Mookie Betts then made a fully extended diving catch on a liner off the bat of Joc Pederson to preserve Sheehan’s no-hit bid. Brusdar Graterol is warming up in the bullpen.
Bottom of the sixth: The Dodgers go down in order.
Emmet Sheehan hasn’t allowed a hit through five; Dodgers take lead
⚾ Dodgers 4, Giants 0 — End of the fifth
Top of the fifth: Another 1-2-3 inning for Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan, who hasn’t allowed a hit so far in his major-league debut. Sheehan struck out Patrick Bailey before Mike Yastrzemski and Luis Matos each flied out. Sheehan has walked two and struck out three over 74 pitches.
Bottom of the fifth: Jonny DeLuca struck out, then Miguel Rojas singled off Sean Manaea on a liner to left. Mookie Betts was hit by a pitch and Freddie Freeman struck out. Will Smith then drove in Rojas on a single to center to put the Dodgers on the board. J.D. Martinez followed with a RBI double off the wall in left field. James Outman plated Smith and Martinez on a single to left, taking second on a fielding error by Michael Conforto. Miguel Vargas struck out to end the inning.
Dodgers injury update:
Emmet Sheehan hasn’t allowed a hit through four innings
⚾ Giants 0, Dodgers 0 — End of the fourth
Top of the fourth: The Giants remain hitless against Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan. Joc Pederson drew a leadoff walk, then Thairo Estrada grounded into a force out at second. Michael Conforto struck out and Wilmer Flores popped out to first.
Bottom of the fourth: The Dodgers were retired in order. Michael Busch entered the game for Chris Taylor, who might have suffered a leg injury during his first at-bat. Busch struck out to end the inning.
Emmet Sheehan impressive for Dodgers through three innings
⚾ Giants 0, Dodgers 0 — End of the third
Top of the third: Another 1-2-3 inning for Emmet Sheehan and the Dodgers. In his first major-league start, Sheehan has held the Giants hitless through three innings.
Bottom of the third: Mookie Betts hit a one-single on a sharp line drive to center. With Giants reliever Sean Manaea taking over for Ryan Walker, Freddie Freeman grounded into a force out at second. Will Smith walked, then J.D. Martinez struck out.
David Peralta exits game after turning ankle
⚾ Giants 0, Dodgers 0 — End of the second
Top of the second: Emmet Sheehan walked Michael Conforto before retiring the next three batters in order. He struck out Mike Yastzemski for his first career punchout.
Bottom of the second: David Peralta managed to avoid a tag from first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. and reach first on a grounder to short, but he turned his left ankle when his foot touched the bag. Peralta immediately fell to the ground, but stayed in the game after being looked over by a team trainer. Miguel Vargas was initially ruled safe on a grounder to third before the on-field call was overturned on review. Chris Taylor grounded out and Jonny DeLuca grounded out to leave Peralta stranded.
After the inning was over, Peralta left the game. James Outman took over in center, with DeLuca shifting to Peralta’s spot in left.
Emmet Sheehan gets off to strong start in his MLB debut
⚾ Giants 0, Dodgers 0 — End of the first
Top of the first: Emmet Sheehan gets the start for the Dodgers in his major-league debut. It took him only 13 pitches to retire the Giants in order, with LaMonte Wade Jr. popping out and Joc Pederson and Thairo Estrada flying out.
Bottom of the first: Facing Giants starter John Brebbia, Mookie Betts struck out, Freddie Freeman flied out to left and Will Smith walked. J.D. Martinez popped out to first to end the inning.
Starting lineups for the Dodgers and Giants tonight
Here’s the starting lineup for the Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night at Dodger Stadium:
Here’s the starting lineup for the San Francisco Giants:
Religious groups protest Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence hours before Dodgers’ Pride Night
Feelings of indignation and anger fueled by religious conservatives culminated in a protest Friday afternoon at Dodger Stadium over the honoring of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a satirical performance and activist organization made up of queer nuns in drag that are considered blasphemous by some Christians.
Protesters gathered for a “prayerful procession” at Parking Lot 13 outside Dodger Stadium before the team’s 10th annual Pride Night, where the organization will receive an award for its decades of community ministry ahead of the game against the San Francisco Giants.
Helicopters hovered above as hundreds of demonstrators, most of them wearing red, began to gather in the parking lot. The demonstrators passed out rosaries and held up flags with religious imagery, images of Jesus Christ and homemade signs — including ones reading, “Long Live Christ the King!” and “Shame on the Dodger’s organization.”
Dodgers reunion has Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez back at star heights
As the Dodgers neared their free-agent signing of J.D. Martinez this winter, Andrew Friedman reached out to his superstar right fielder.
The Dodgers president of baseball operations didn’t exactly need an endorsement for Martinez, a five-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner who could help bolster an offense going through a marked offseason turnover.
But Mookie Betts, Friedman knew, had as much rapport with Martinez as almost anyone — the two going from teammates, to hitting partners, to best of friends during a couple seasons together with the Boston Red Sox.
For some LGBTQ+ Catholics, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are a drag
On Friday, Catholics will celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, a feast day meant for the faithful to reflect on God’s love for mankind.
Sadly, love will be the last thing on the mind of too many Catholics in Los Angeles and beyond.
Friday is also the day the Los Angeles Dodgers will host Pride Night and present the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence with a Community Hero Award. The choice to honor the group — whose mostly male members dress in out-there nun habits while doing charity work — has inflamed conservative Catholics like nothing since Nancy Pelosi taking Communion.
The Dodgers at first rescinded their invitation under pressure from loudmouths who argued that the Sisters mocked Catholicism by desecrating its holy rituals and objects and by just being. Then the team reinvited the Sisters and apologized to them after protests from Democratic politicians and LGBTQ+ groups.
Archbishop to pray for L.A. hours before Dodgers honor Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
On the same day the Dodgers are honoring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez said he’s dedicating his service early Friday afternoon “for healing due to the harm caused by the Dodgers’ decision to honor a group that intentionally denigrates and profanes the Christian faith.”
A statement from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles announcing the 12:10 p.m. service at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels does not mention the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence by name. The Mass is being held less than two miles from Dodger Stadium, where the Sisters, a longtime charity organization made up queer nuns often in drag, will receive the Community Hero Award in a pregame ceremony hours later on Dodgers’ Pride Night.
After weeks of controversy surrounding the Dodgers’ decision to honor the Sisters during the team’s LGBTQ+ event, it’s pretty clear what group the archdiocese is referring to in the statement.
Catholic group plans for thousands to protest Sisters at Dodger Stadium
A religious organization that calls the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence “Godless” and “Christ-mocking” plans for thousands to protest at Dodger Stadium on Friday due to the Dodgers honoring the longtime charity organization made up of queer nuns in drag.
Catholics for Catholics, an organizer behind the protest, said it wants to express its feelings on the matter in person and on Dodgers’ Pride Night, but it wants the event to be “peaceful” and “prayerful.”
Catholics for Catholics announced a “prayerful procession” from 3 to 7 p.m., ahead of Friday’s 7:10 p.m. start of the Dodgers’ game against the San Francisco Giants. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are slated to receive the Community Hero Award during a pregame ceremony as part of the Pride Night festivities.
Thursday recap: Dodgers bullpen holds it together as Freddie Freeman walks it off
A 5-4 Dodgers victory over the Chicago White Sox that was made possible by Chris Taylor’s sixth-inning grand slam and Freddie Freeman’s 11th-inning walk-off RBI single Thursday night served as one giant cleansing breath for their beleaguered bullpen.
The Dodgers entered the game with a 4.90 bullpen ERA, the second-worst mark in baseball ahead of only the Oakland Athletics, but four relievers combined to blank the White Sox on one hit and strike out nine over the final six innings before a crowd of 48,655 in Chavez Ravine.
Shelby Miller, in his first game back off the bereavement list, threw two scoreless innings in relief of starter Michael Grove. Yency Almonte struck out the two batters who tagged him for a double and a homer in Wednesday night’s loss — Eloy Jimenez and Jake Burger — in a one-two-three eighth.
Dodgers TV schedule for remainder of regular season
Here’s a look at the Dodgers TV schedule for the remainder of the 2023 regular season. All times and broadcast/streaming options are subject to change.
