How Dave Roberts ruined Dodgers’ chances of completing comeback vs. Cubs

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell 7-6 to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, extending the club’s losing streak to six games. However, the team nearly surmounted an impressive comeback in the final two frames, scoring five runs in the top of the eighth inning. But it just wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit. Hindsight is 20/20, but the loss to Chicago can squarely be placed on Dave Roberts’ shoulders.

The Cubs scored three runs in the first two frames, then totaled three more in the fourth inning. Los Angeles was down 6-1 going into the fifth. Starting pitcher Eric Lauer had himself an incredibly ugly day. In 4.0 innings pitched, he allowed 11 hits, six earned runs, and two home runs while delivering just one strikeout.

Lauer gave up three runs in the first two innings. It was clear he was struggling against the Cubs and had already put the Dodgers in a bit of a hole. The eight-year pro took the field for inning three and didn’t allow a single run in that frame. It may have led the club’s 54-year-old manager not to make a change on the mound. However, everything fell apart by the bottom of the fourth.

The alarm bells should have sounded off in Roberts’ head after the Cubs scored their first run in the fourth inning, let alone three. You’d think after watching Lauer give up three runs earlier in the matchup, you’d consider getting somebody warmed up in the bullpen heading into the third frame. Instead, Chicago totaled three runs in inning four. The decision not to pull Lauer from the contest in the fourth inning is what led to the Dodgers’ demise.

It’s a shame, too. Shohei Ohtani put on an MVP-level performance, recording three hits, two home runs, and three RBIs. In fact, the offense in general did enough in the eighth inning alone to get the win. It was just too little, too late for Los Angeles, as the team was facing an uphill climb due to the poor pitching against the Cubs.

Dave Roberts and the Dodgers will have a chance to right the ship on Friday. Los Angeles is scheduled to face off against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the road in the first matchup of a three-game series.

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