Blake Snell may have walked off the mound with six scoreless innings, two hits allowed and a clean line in the Dodgers’ 4-0 win over the Pirates, but he didn’t exactly treat Sunday like a job well done.
In his third start back after an elbow injury that sidelined him in early May, the two-time Cy Young Award winner said the outing had too many sloppy moments for his taste. The issue, in his view, wasn’t the overall results. It was the way he got there.
“There were a couple innings there where, you know, get two quick outs and then full-count walk, full-count walk,” Snell told reporters after the game. “It’s not acceptable.
Especially with, I feel good, I know I can command the ball. Honestly, it’s lazy.
It’s me trying to get strikeouts instead of, you know, trying to go seven, eight, nine. So I definitely got to clean that up.
"But I know I’m going to do that, and just continue to get better, and learn, and grow.”
That blunt self-assessment fits the tone Snell has brought since returning. Dave Roberts said the left-hander essentially told him he’s already in playoff mode, and the manager isn’t fighting that energy.
“He told me, his words, ‘It’s the playoffs for me, right now from the outset,’” Roberts said. “So he’s showing that.
The games are going to get more intense as we get into September and beyond. But love what we see.”
The results since Snell came back have been strong. He has posted a 1.00 ERA across three starts, and each one has gone six innings. Sunday’s line included three walks, and Snell has issued seven free passes over his last 18 innings, but he still felt good about the way he handled the strike zone.
“I mean, the command is good,” Snell said. “You know, you could [see] three walks, a hit by pitch.
But when I look at it, I see I commanded the zone the whole game. It’s three at-bats [where] I need to be more focused and stop trying to get the strikeout.
Get strike one and then go from there.”
Roberts, for his part, was plenty encouraged by what he saw. With Shohei Ohtani still missing from the rotation and Tyler Glasnow on the way back, Snell’s return has given the Dodgers a needed lift.
“I like the way he’s pounding the strike zone,” Roberts said. “His slider’s really good.
The curveball’s as good as I’ve seen it. Then you’ve got arguably his best secondary pitch, the changeup, and the fastball is playing really well.
He could’ve been better, in his words, but I thought he was pretty dang good.”
The win finished off a sweep of Pittsburgh and pushed the Dodgers to six straight victories. That’s a sharp turn after an early-August slide that saw them lose seven in a row.
Now the Dodgers head to Atlanta on Tuesday for a three-game set against the Braves.
In Other News...
Dodgers Quietly Avoided Bigger Problems Thanks To A Few Overlooked Players
The Dodgers have steadied themselves with consecutive sweeps of the Rockies and Pirates, a welcome turn after a rough stretch that had exposed some real soft spots. What has made the difference is not only the usual star power, but the way a few lesser-known pieces have helped cover ground where the roster had been vulnerable.
Edgardo Henriquez has helped settle the bullpen, Alex Call has given the outfield a needed jolt, and Hunter Feduccia has gone beyond expectations behind the plate. None of it is flashy, but this kind of support matters for a team trying to keep bigger issues from piling up, and it has quietly made the recent stretch look a lot more manageable. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Let A Winnable One Slip As Top Seed Pressure Builds
Tyler Glasnows return gave the Dodgers something to build on, but it still wasnt enough to stop a late Atlanta push in a 4-3 loss. In his first major league start in more than three and a half months, Glasnow worked five innings and struck out seven, a solid step for a rotation that needs him back in rhythm as the stretch run tightens.
The defeat left Los Angeles a game behind Milwaukee for the top seed in the National League, and games like this can loom large if the race stays this tight. The Dodgers had enough chances to change the feel of the night, but they came away empty when it mattered most, a frustrating finish for a club trying to hold position while the pressure around them keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Could Catch Shohei Ohtani At The Worst Possible Time
Shohei Ohtanis pitching return is suddenly in play for the Dodgers, and the timing could hardly be more intriguing. Dave Roberts said Ohtani has a chance to come back to the mound for the upcoming weekend series against the Detroit Tigers, a reminder that Los Angeles may be getting its most electric two-way player back just as the regular season is tightening.
The next checkpoint comes Wednesday, when Ohtani is scheduled to throw either a bullpen session or face live hitters. If that work goes well, he could rejoin the Dodgers rotation for the final stretch, giving Roberts another high-end option as the club pushes toward October. For now, the wait centers on that session, with the Tigers potentially lined up for an uncomfortable reunion at exactly the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]