Dodgers’ Dustin May continues to impress, but Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara outpitches him
MIAMI — The missed ground ball left Dustin May crumpled on the grass.
But in his second start back from Tommy John surgery, it was a curveball he left hanging in the strike zone that signaled — for as promising as he has looked in his return to the team — the fine margins where the right-hander can still progress down the stretch.
Indeed, May largely pitched well in the Dodgers’ 2-1 loss to the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park on Saturday night.
Not well enough to outduel Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, who bounced back from a six-run clunker against the Dodgers on Sunday by tossing his fourth complete game of a likely Cy Young Award-worthy season.
Not well enough to overcome the Dodgers’ defensive capitulation in the sixth inning, either, when May and second baseman Chris Taylor misplayed two-out grounders to extend an inning in which the Marlins scored the eventual winning run.
But, just like in his season debut last weekend, the hard-throwing, red-haired May again flashed the kind of tantalizing potential that could make him a key weapon for the Dodgers (87-38) down the stretch and into the playoffs.
Final: Sandy Alcantara throws complete game as Marlins win 2-1
It got tense at the end, as the Dodgers loaded the bases in the ninth.
But Sandy Alcantara got redemption against the Dodgers, bouncing back from his six-run clunked in Los Angeles last week by pitching his fourth complete game of the season on Saturday in a 2-1 Marlins win.
The Dodgers had a chance to come back in the ninth, after Freddie Freeman reached on a misplayed grounder to first, Will Smith sent a single to left and Justin Turner drew a walk.
But Joey Gallo grounded out to end the game.
The Dodgers are now 87-38.
Final: Marlins 2, Dodgers 1
Sloppy Dodgers defense allows Marlins to take lead
Dustin May should have had a 1-2-3 sixth inning.
Instead, the Dodgers defense capitulated as the Marlins took the lead.
With two outs, Joey Wendle hit a tapper to the mound that May whiffed, the pitcher crumpling to the ground in frustration as Wendle pulled into first with what was ruled a single.
The next batter, Jon Berti, also hit a seemingly harmless grounder to Chris Taylor at second. As Taylor charged, however, he booted the ball, allowing Berti to reach on what was also ruled a base hit.
That allowed Jerar Encarnacion — who had replaced Brian Anderson following his ejection in the fourth inning — to line a go-ahead single to left, giving the Marlins their first lead of the night.
The inning almost got worse, after bad relay throw, a stolen base and a hit by pitch loaded the bases.
But May limited the damaged by getting Garrett Cooper to roll into a fielder’s choice.
At 86 pitches, May’s night is likely done.
End 6th: Marlins lead 2-1
Brian Anderson ties the game for Marlins, but then gets ejected arguing call at second base
After not getting a hit off Dustin May for the first three innings, the Marlins finally broke through in the fourth.
First, Jon Berti sliced a single into right field and stole second. Then Brian Anderson lined a double to left-center that tied the score.
Anderson initially slid into second base safely, ahead of a tag by Chris Taylor.
However, Anderson’s foot popped off the base for a split-second while Taylor was applying his tag, prompting umpire DJ Reyburn to call him out.
Anderson tried pleading his case, claiming that Taylor had pushed him off the bag.
Reyburn immediately ejected him instead.
End 4th: Tied 1-1
Mookie Betts homers again to put the Dodgers on the board
A night after hitting two home runs, Mookie Betts left the yard again in the third inning today.
Betts took Sandy Alcantara deep on an 0-and-1 slider, a solo blast that gives him 30 home runs on the year.
Betts is now two away from matching his career high of 32, which he set during his MVP campaign with the Boston Red Sox in 2018.
Mid 3rd: Dodgers lead 1-0
Clayton Kershaw throws sim game; Chris Martin hopeful of avoiding IL
MIAMI — Clayton Kershaw wasn’t happy with how he threw the baseball during a simulated game on Saturday. But all that really mattered was that he came away from it feeling good.
In what should be the final step of his recovery from his latest back injury, Kershaw threw close to 70 pitches in four simulated innings against Trayce Thompson and Hanser Alberto, putting him on line to return to the Dodgers rotation on either Thursday against the New York Mets or Friday against the San Diego Padres.
Kershaw said the team has decided when he will pitch, but manager Dave Roberts wasn’t ready to say publicly yet.
Either way, it should give Kershaw, who went down with his second back injury of the year on August 4, enough time to get back into a normal routine and make five or six starts before the end of the regular season.
“I’ve felt pretty good for awhile now,” Kershaw said. “We took it slow, did two sim games and am ready to go.”
Chris Martin battling elbow issue
Though right-handed reliever Chris Martin hasn’t pitched since Tuesday because of an elbow issue, the Dodgers are hopeful the trade deadline acquisition won’t need to go on the injured list.
Martin said Saturday that the problem popped up during his most recent outing, but added he didn’t think it was anything serious and said a recent MRI came back clean.
Roberts said it is possible Martin could be available Saturday night.
“He’s gonna go out there and play catch and let us know how he feels,” Roberts said. “We’re not going to push it.”
Short hops
Reliever Jake Reed joined the Dodgers on the taxi squad Saturday. Roberts said the right-hander is currently here as insurance, and that there is no immediate plan to activate him for the time being.
Gavin Lux was out of the lineup for a fourth straight day with a neck/upper back problem. Roberts had set Saturday as Lux’s originally targeted return date, but said the second baseman should be back on Sunday or Monday instead.
Here is the Dodgers lineup for Saturday, when Dustin May will face off against Sandy Alcantara on the mound:
The Dodgers made a late change to their lineup, flipping Justin Turner and Max Muncy so that Muncy will now play third and Turner will DH.
Roberts said Turner woke up not feeling great Saturday. Muncy was originally going to get back-to-back days at DH because of some left knee soreness.
ICYMI: Mookie Betts stars in clutch, powers Dodgers’ 10-inning win at Miami
MIAMI — A patchwork pitching plan and shaky defense in critical moments almost cost the Dodgers on Friday night.
A clutch performance by Mookie Betts, however, bailed them out in the end.
In a back-and-forth game that featured six lead changes, three ties and 10 innings, Betts’ two home runs, four hits and four RBIs lifted the Dodgers to a 10-6 win over the Miami Marlins.
“Unbelievable,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It was just such a great performance. We needed every bit of it.”
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: