Roberts: Dodgers' relievers 'need to be better, period'

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers did some good things on Wednesday.

Clayton Kershaw, despite not having his best stuff, allowed just two runs over six innings. Austin Barnes and Miguel Rojas showed signs of life offensively. David Peralta and Jason Heyward continued to provide a solid veteran presence in the middle of the lineup. Mookie Betts had another timely hit.

But as has been the case all season long for the Dodgers, all that good was quickly erased following another bad performance from the bullpen, which allowed six runs over three innings in the 8-4 loss to the White Sox at Dodger Stadium.

“Very deflating. It’s very deflating,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was clearly upset by the team’s bullpen performance this season. “Clayton pitched his ass off [even though he didn’t] have a whole lot as far as stuff. … We took a lead and we gave it away.”

After Kershaw got through six innings, the Dodgers’ offense was able to take advantage of a couple of defensive mistakes by the White Sox. Betts capped off a four-run sixth with a two-run single off Joe Kelly to put the Dodgers out in front.

In years past, a late lead for the Dodgers was almost automatic. This year, however, once the bullpen phone starts to ring, things get far more interesting than they have over the last few seasons.

Yency Almonte got the first assignment in the seventh. The right-hander answered the call by retiring the top of the White Sox lineup in order on just 10 pitches. Because of his quick inning, Roberts and the Dodgers turned to Almonte to face two more righties to start the eighth.

Roberts said only Caleb Ferguson was unavailable in the bullpen on Wednesday. He considered going to Brusdar Graterol in the eighth, which would’ve presumably lined up Evan Phillips for the ninth if things went according to plan, something that has hardly been a given this season when it comes to the Dodgers’ relief corps.

Roberts said it was a “no-brainer” to go with Almonte in the eighth to face Eloy Jiménez and Jake Burger. Jiménez, however, opened the inning with a double. Burger then hit a game-tying two-run homer off the left-field foul pole, his second long ball of the game.

“They told me I had two more batters and I knew it was two righties coming up. I knew in my head I had to go out there and get them out,” Almonte said. “But yeah, I missed it. It was a slider up and in. You don’t throw sliders up and in.”

The struggles certainly didn’t stop with Almonte, who now has a 6.75 ERA after finishing the 2022 season at 1.02. Alex Vesia, who has also taken a downturn this season, hit Andrew Benintendi to start his outing. Benintendi moved into scoring position on a wild pitch and later scored on Clint Frazier’s RBI single. Vesia’s ERA is now 7.02.

“It’s very frustrating, and they have to do better,” Roberts said of the bullpen giving up another lead. “It’s not workload. It’s not the wrong lanes or the right lanes, it’s they need to be better, period.”

Though the Dodgers are eight games over .500 after 68 games, there’s a significant level of concern surrounding the team’s bullpen, an area that has shined over the last few seasons. After avoiding it for a period of time, the Dodgers are being reminded just how volatile bullpens can be from year to year.

Outside of a few pitchers, this is essentially the same relief contingent that dominated most of last season. In 2023, however, the results are nowhere near what they were in ‘22. In fact, only the A’s, the team with the second-worst record in the Majors, have a worse bullpen ERA than the Dodgers’ 4.90 ERA this season.

“They’re getting opportunities and as you run them out there, you learn more. Can’t lose that game,” Roberts said. “We have to use the guys we have. That’s how we go forward. And they have to be better.”

With the Trade Deadline just over a month away, the Dodgers will be looking for a lot of help in this area. But until then, they’ll have to roll out with the unit they have now, and the results haven’t been encouraging thus far.

"We have a really good group out there,” Almonte said. “Unfortunately right now, we're not throwing the ball the way we should throw the ball.”