Shohei Ohtani celebrated his 100th Major League start with a stellar performance: six scoreless innings, eight strikeouts and fastballs that reached 101 mph. However, his dominance was again buried under the Dodgers’ chronic bullpen problems, which in the ninth inning allowed another painful comeback. Tanner Scott took the loss after giving up the game-winning hit that sealed the Diamondbacks’ 5-4 victory.
A bullpen on fire
The collapse was not isolated. Since September 1, the Dodgers’ bullpen ranks 26th in ERA at 5.69, accumulating eight losses in that span. Scott already has ten blown saves this season, becoming the most obvious face of a fragility that threatens to erase months of dominance in the National League West.
The defeat opens up a worrying scenario: the San Diego Padres are only 1.5 games away in the divisional race. Mike Nelson of Dodgers Digest warned that a drop in the last week would be “catastrophic”. The Angels went from having a magic number close to the title to facing maximum pressure, with every bullpen outing turning into a Russian roulette.
Dave Roberts’ message
After the game, manager Dave Roberts pointed directly at Tanner Scott‘s decision-making. “He went overboard with the slider,” he said, highlighting the lack of variation in moments of pressure. The public criticism reflects the coaching staff’s urgency to adjust a strategy that has proved too predictable for opponents.
Scott takes the blame, but time is running out
Scott himself did not hide his responsibility: “I wasn’t executing pitches… We should have won the game, and it was my fault”. The self-criticism shows awareness, but it does not change the reality: if the bullpen does not regain stability, the Dodgers could lose the National League West to the Padres. In Los Angeles, patience is running out, and every fastball from Ohtani seems more valuable than ever in the face of a bullpen that threatens to sink the entire season.
Read the full article here
