Dodgers Keep Diaz in the Fire: Closer Job Stays Put After Another Ninth-Inning Disaster
LOS ANGELES — The boos rained down from 46,105 fans at Dodger Stadium as Edwin Diaz trudged off the mound. Another lead gone. Another ninth inning that turned into a nightmare. The Dodgers fell 5-4 to the Milwaukee Brewers, and for a team with championship expectations, this is getting dangerously uncomfortable.
Diaz inherited a two-run lead in the ninth Thursday night and watched it vanish, triggering a three-run Milwaukee rally. He has now blown three saves in his last four appearances, and his ERA is a brutal 11.57 through 14 appearances since signing a $69 million deal.
Same Face, Same Fire?
Somehow, manager Dave Roberts isn't budging. The ninth inning still belongs to Diaz.
'Give me another option,' Roberts said when asked about switching things up.
There's no shortage of options, at least in theory. Tanner Scott filled in admirably while Diaz was out with elbow surgery, but the Dodgers want Scott in a flexible late-inning role. Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia and Edgardo Henriquez have all been inconsistent. And Roberts shot down closer-by-committee talk, saying it only works if the guys throwing are actually throwing well.
For now, it's Diaz or nothing.
Deja Vu All Over Again
This isn't just one rough stretch. Opposing hitters are slashing .375/.462/.643 against Diaz. Last Friday in Phoenix, Ryan Waldschmidt took him deep for a two-run walk-off homer. The next night, Corbin Carroll tripled to tie the game. There was a brief 1-2-3 ninth against Kansas City on Monday, but the rebound didn't stick.
Thursday's meltdown followed an ugly pattern: back-to-back one-out singles on fastballs right down the middle, then Jackson Chourio and Garrett Mitchell both singled on sliders to right. Gary Sanchez struck out for the second out, but then Roberts turned to Alex Vesia, and Jake Bauers delivered the go-ahead single to complete the collapse.
A Familiar Struggle
The Dodgers have seen this movie before. Last year, Tanner Scott struggled through the first year of a four-year, $72 million contract before bouncing back. The hope is Diaz won't take as long.
'I just gotta find a way to pitch better,' Diaz said. 'I've been in this position before, and I've been able to find a way to get better.'
Diaz admitted his fastball location has been brutal. 'When you miss in the middle, you pay,' he said.
The bullpen has been a mess for a while — they own a 4.71 ERA since the start of July, 23rd in the majors. But the Dodgers still sit eight games up in the NL West, so the panic button isn't fully smashed. They're chasing a first-round bye, and they're in the middle of 13 games in 13 days — a stretch that puts the bullpen under a microscope.
Roberts remains committed to Diaz, at least for now. But in Los Angeles, patience with a struggling, high-paid closer has an expiration date.