LA gets big innings from 'pen's middle men

LOS ANGELES -- With several key pieces in the bullpen out due to injuries, the Dodgers are desperately looking to find a couple of arms who can step up in order to complement Kenley Jansen, Blake Treinen and Victor González.

Despite Treinen’s struggles in the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 3-2 loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, the club should come away encouraged with the performance its relievers put together in its fourth -- and likely final -- bullpen game, as Tony Gonsolin is scheduled to return next week against the Pirates.

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The Dodgers went 1-3 in bullpen games since Dustin May was lost for the season on May 3, but they allowed three or fewer runs in each of those games.

“I thought they did a really nice job,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the bullpen. “Across the board, those guys did a really nice job.”

David Price, who has been excellent out of the bullpen since returning from a right hamstring injury, got the start for the Dodgers’ bullpen game yet again. The left-hander didn’t get the best results, allowing two earned runs on five hits over 1 2/3 innings. Price, however, averaged 94.8 mph with his sinker, which was significantly higher than his 92.8 mph average this season. That’s an encouraging sign for the Dodgers, as they could choose to use Price as a leverage reliever once they get back to a five-man rotation next week.

While the Dodgers know what they have with Price and Joe Kelly, who struck out three of the four batters he faced, they’re still trying to figure out exactly what they have with right-handers Nate Jones, Phil Bickford and Mitch White.

The Dodgers claimed Bickford from the Brewers on May 3. Bickford, 25, had only appeared in two career big league games before being designated for assignment by Milwaukee. The Dodgers liked his fastball and slider mix and believe he can develop a good changeup. Whatever the Dodgers saw is clearly working.

Bickford tossed another scoreless inning on Tuesday, striking out two. Since joining the Dodgers, Bickford has completed five scoreless innings, striking out eight and walking just one. It’s unlikely that Bickford finds himself pitching in high-leverage situations, but with Brusdar Graterol and Jimmy Nelson still working their way back from injuries and with Kelly’s strike-throwing inconsistencies, the Dodgers could lean on Bickford in middle-innings situations.

Jones and White, on the other hand, are in very different stages in their respective careers, but both have been very effective for the Dodgers. Jones was let go by the Braves earlier this season because of his inability to throw strikes. The Dodgers have apparently identified the problem, as Jones has done nothing but throw strikes in his first couple of weeks with the team.

Since making his debut with the Dodgers, Jones has allowed two runs over 6 1/3 innings, including two scoreless frames on Tuesday. But most importantly, Jones hasn’t walked a single batter. The 35-year-old has plenty of big league experience and could turn out to be a good find for the Dodgers if this holds up over the next few months.

“Both of them have really good fastballs,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said of Jones and Bickford. “They use their breaking ball to keep you off the fastball and keep you honest. But they keep their fastball where they need to. They’re both swing and miss fastballs and Jones used his slider more tonight, got some swing and miss. Those are two big right arms that we have in the pen and they’re filling their role and helping us out.”

As for White, he’s considered a future starter, but he’s in a relief role because the Dodgers need innings out of the ‘pen. He has responded well to the challenge. White struck out three on Tuesday, flashing a 97 mph fastball.

The Dodgers have been carried by their starting pitching this season, but with teams conscious of the fact that pitchers will be making the jump from last year’s 60-game season to a 162-game season this year, the Dodgers will lean on their bullpen a bit more moving forward. It’s unrealistic to expect that all three of Jones, Bickford and White will continue this level of success throughout the season, but the bullpen will be in much better shape if at least one of them can.

And so far, the Dodgers don’t see why that can’t happen.