LOS ANGELES — In a bullpen depleted by injury and now filled out by a collection of rookies and waiver-wire pickups, Tanner Scott should be a $72 million rock.
That rock has felt more like an irritating pebble in their shoe.
The Dodgers rallied to tie the score against New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz in the bottom of the ninth inning only to lose it in 10 innings when their own closer gave up two runs and the Dodgers lost, 4-3, on Monday night.
It was Scott’s second loss (to go with three blown saves) over his past seven appearances, a stretch during which he has given up 12 runs in six innings.
If the month of May went out like a lion for the Dodgers’ offense, June has come in like a lamb.
After bombing the New York Yankees for 18 runs on Saturday, the Dodgers have been stymied by Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn, the latter holding them to three hits in five scoreless innings for the Mets on Monday night in his 2025 debut.
It wasn’t until the seventh inning that the Dodgers could score. Shohei Ohtani struck out twice against Blackburn, chasing curveballs out of the strike zone each time, and grounded out softly with two runners on in the fifth inning.
But the first pitch he saw from someone else (Mets reliever Max Kranick in the seventh inning), Ohtani crushed – 113.9 mph off the bat and 424 feet into the night for his 23rd home run of the season (tied for the MLB lead).
Two innings later, the Dodgers were still trailing 2-1 as Diaz came in to close it out for the Mets.
Tommy Edman led off the ninth with a single off Diaz then stole second base to get into scoring position. Rookie catcher Dalton Rushing struck out, but Hyeseong Kim hit a hard ground ball up the middle. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor made a spectacular diving stop but couldn’t throw out the speedy Kim, putting runners at the corners for Shohei Ohtani who tied the score with a sacrifice fly, coming just a couple feet short in the left-field corner of his second home run of the night.
That sent the game into the 10th, where Scott promptly gave up an RBI double and an RBI single. Over his past seven appearances, batters are hitting .419 (13 for 31) off Scott.
The Mets took that 4-2 lead into the bottom of the 10th and Andy Pages cut into it with an RBI single. With two runners on, the Dodgers brought Will Smith off the bench to pinch-hit. The best hitter in the majors this season with runners in scoring position (22 for 47), Smith flew out to center field.
That lined Edman up to follow Ohtani’s script and play hero on his bobblehead night. He couldn’t, grounding out to end the game.
The Dodgers went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position, stranding 11 runners.
More to come on this story.
