'Just wasn't my day': Paxton surrenders 9 runs to Giants

SAN FRANCISCO -- After using every reliever out of the bullpen on Saturday, the Dodgers were asking James Paxton to at least give them some length on Sunday.

The veteran left-hander failed to accomplish that, instead delivering one of the worst starts of his career, allowing a career-high nine runs on 12 hits over four innings in the Dodgers’ 10-4 blowout loss to the Giants at Oracle Park.

The 22 runs allowed by the Dodgers this weekend was the most they've given up in a three-game set at Oracle Park since it opened in 2000.

“I was ready to go as long as they needed me to go,” Paxton said after the game. “I wanted to go deep into the game for these guys; it just wasn’t my day.”

From the beginning of his start, it was apparent Paxton didn’t have any of his pitches working. Though he got 13 swings and misses, the Giants were able to tag him with 11 hard-hit balls. San Francisco averaged an exit velocity of 98 mph against the knuckle curve and 96.7 mph against the four-seamer.

Both Paxton and catcher Austin Barnes said the biggest issue on Sunday was the Giants’ ability to jump on the fastball.

“I think they had a pretty good plan off him and I don’t think we adjusted fast enough,” Barnes said. “Kind of started going to the curveball and changeup a little bit more the third inning or so. But I felt like they hunted up pretty well. Obviously he throws the ball up a lot. Probably should’ve went against his strengths a little bit sooner.”

In the first, Paxton got his outing started by loading the bases with nobody out. The left-hander did a nice job to limit the damage, keeping the Giants at just one run. Over the next three innings, however, Paxton wasn’t able to get going in the right direction. He gave up two runs in the second, one in the third and five in the fourth. With the Dodgers operating with a very limited bullpen, Paxton had to stay on the mound as long as possible to absorb all of the damage.

Paxton, who signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers this offseason, has had mixed results this season as he has battled command for most of the year. The left-hander’s best stretch, however, came in his three starts prior to Sunday’s, allowing just two runs over 18 innings.

“It’s not a straight line,” Paxton said. “You’re not going to pitch well every game. You’re going to have games like today and I’ll keep working and be ready to come out next time. Today just wasn’t a good one. Get ready for the next one and get back at it.”

This week was a challenging one for the Dodgers’ starting rotation. Gavin Stone, who has really impressed during his rookie season, and Paxton had good outings against the White Sox during the three-game sweep in Chicago. Bobby Miller, on the other hand, has struggled since coming back from the injured list with a right shoulder issue.

Tyler Glasnow struggled on Saturday against the Giants, going only three innings, which affected the state of the bullpen in the series finale. The right-hander is also at 103 innings this season, just 17 shy of his career high. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw are all on the injured list with no real timetable for a return, though are all expected back at some point after the All-Star break.

Given some of the concerns from the starting rotation, particularly recently, the Dodgers are expected to be involved in the starting-pitching market before the July 30 Trade Deadline. Los Angeles will be looking for a pitcher that can make an impact in October. White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet fits that description, but he’ll come with a hefty price tag and Chicago will have plenty of other suitors.

But for now, the Dodgers will continue to evaluate the options they have.

“Since Yamamoto’s injury, I think it’s been good, not great,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I think that we’ve had some really, really good ones. And then we’ve had a couple of clunkers. So you know the consistency just hasn’t been there. But it will be.”