MILWAUKEE — For the first time this season, the Dodgers got a member of their season-opening rotation back from injury.
Righty Tyler Glasnow was activated off the 60-day injured list and gave the Dodgers five strong innings on Wednesday afternoon, but the Brewers walked it off, 3-2, on Jackson Chourio’s RBI single in the 10th inning. Los Angeles has dropped six in a row, the club’s longest losing streak since April 8-13, 2019 (also six games).
The Dodgers were the only Major League team that had not lost six in a row since the beginning of 2020. This marked their first time being swept at American Family Field.
“Tyler pitched well,” manager Dave Roberts said. “His pitch count got up there, so five is what he gave us. I thought that was a positive coming out of today. We had them where we wanted them. We just couldn’t finish it.”
Glasnow allowed an unearned run on two hits, three walks and a balk while striking out five on 85 pitches in his first big league action since April 27. Righty reliever Alexis Díaz was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in order to clear an active roster spot for Glasnow, and right-hander Michael Kopech was transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot.
“I’m glad I could go out and feel healthy and feel strong,” Glasnow said, “and just ready to go again after the break.”
Other than a high-stress second inning in which he loaded the bases and threw 29 pitches, Glasnow didn’t have to navigate much traffic against the Brewers on Wednesday. He allowed his lone run of the afternoon in the fifth inning, when Jake Bauers drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a Glasnow balk, stole third and scored on a Will Smith throwing error to tie the ballgame.
The Dodgers went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, and their only runs scored on a Shohei Ohtani bases-loaded walk and a Mookie Betts sacrifice fly. They took a one-run lead into the ninth, but Tanner Scott wasn’t able to convert the four-out save and gave up a game-tying pinch-hit RBI single to Andrew Vaughn.
Kirby Yates gave up the game-winner to Chourio in the 10th, and the Dodgers were swept for the second straight series. They have been outscored 44-10 during the losing streak.
“Hats off to the Brewers in this series, because they got pretty big arms,” third baseman Miguel Rojas said. “But we got a rematch in a couple weeks after the All-Star break, and hopefully we learn from this one.”
More than two months after going on the IL with right shoulder inflammation, Glasnow is back. Snell is also trending closer to a return and will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday. Sasaki is much farther behind, but considering that the Dodgers got Clayton Kershaw and Emmet Sheehan back in the interim, the rotation is much healthier than it has been in quite some time.
Staying on the field has been a challenge for Glasnow in his big league career. He made 22 starts and pitched 134 innings — both career highs — in his first year with the Dodgers, which still came to a premature end due to injury last August.
“You love the guy. You love the teammate. Certainly the talent is undeniable,” Roberts said. “But I think for me, for us, you want the dependability. That’s something that I’m looking for from Tyler from here on out.”
Glasnow’s fastball velocity was up from his season average, 1.6 mph on his four-seamer and 1.4 on his sinker. The 31-year-old attributed the uptick in part to better mechanics and a revamped mindset.
This past offseason, Glasnow made tweaks to his delivery in an effort to stay healthier. After he got hurt, he believed that the changes may have put too much strain on his shoulder. He’s found a middle ground between old and new, but he’s trying to be less mechanically minded when he’s on the mound.
“I’m just going out and being athletic and not trying to look at it,” Glasnow said. “And if there’s something I need to fix, or something the coaches see, then I’ll worry about it.”