Dave Roberts’ trust in Blake Snell might have cost the Los Angeles Dodgers their season.
The Dodgers manager stuck with Snell in the seventh inning, after his team had just taken a 2-1 lead, the left had already thrown 101 pitches, and the middle third of the Milwaukee Brewers’ lineup was coming to bat.
Snell walked Andrew Vaughn. Then Jake Bauers, a lefty, hit a two-home run that gave the Brewers the lead. Then Garrett Mitchell, another lefty, hit a solo shot right after him that felt like a dagger to the Dodgers’ struggling offense. Los Angeles didn’t respond, lost 6-2, and are now down 3-0 in the NLCS.
Roberts’ decision to leave Snell in for the seventh has been criticized by Dodgers fans given how it turned out.
Roberts explained his reason for sticking with Snell postgame.
“I just saw that through the sixth inning, and then once we got to the seventh inning, I think [Snell] retired 13 or 14 in a row and his stuff was really good,” Roberts said. “I don’t think they were seeing him well. I was trying to get him three more hitters… He had his way with those two lefties and took care of Vaughn.
“Obviously the leadoff walk [to Vaughn] hurt. [Snell] Hasn’t given up a homer all year, but it’s just, it’s baseball. For me, I felt good with where Blake’s stuff was at. You’ve got to give Bauers credit. He put together another good at-bat, which he did at their place and spurred that rally, and then right there saw eight, nine pitches and ended up hitting a homer.”
Snell indeed hadn’t conceded a home run all season before Bauers’ two-run blast. He also only pitched 42 2/3 regular season innings.
“The Bauers at-bat, it’s the middle of the at-bat, so he’s going to finish that at-bat,” Roberts said. “Then he gives up a homer, you’re down a run. For me, I just don’t think it made sense, given where he was throwing the baseball, pitch count, all that stuff, to allow him to get through Mitchell, where I thought he was throwing well against him.”
This marked the first time in Snell’s career that he has given up consecutive home runs to lefties.
