Dodgers bullpen blows another late lead

The Dodgers bullpen continued to be a festering sore, coughing up a lead in the seventh inning to lose to the Diamondbacks 4-3 on Tuesday night at Chase Field.

The wheel of relief disappointment landed on Adam Liberatore in the second game of this four-game death march series for the Dodgers. Asked to open the seventh inning with the team nursing a 3-2 advantage, the damage was done in just seven pitches:

• Deven Marrero singled to center
• John Ryan Murphy singled to left
• Daniel Descalso tripled to right field, scoring both

Tuesday marked the fourth time in the last nine games that the Dodgers bullpen has surrendered a lead in the seventh inning or later. Los Angeles relievers now have a 4.77 ERA on the season, and in the last eight games the carnage has been even worse:

23⅓ innings, 34 hits, 25 runs, 22 earned, 16 walks, 31 strikeouts, 8.49 ERA, 2.143 WHIP

The seventh inning turned the tide after a solid performance by Clayton Kershaw, who struck out six in his six innings. He allowed two runs, on solo home runs by the red-hot A.J. Pollock and pinch-hitter Christian Walker. On the season Kershaw has allowed five runs in three starts against Arizona, and all the runs have come on solo homers, hit by five different Diamondbacks.

Arizona has won two of those three Kershaw starts, and is 7-1 this season against the Dodgers, who they now led by a whopping nine games in the National League West.

A bright spot on offense for the Dodgers was Cody Bellinger hitting his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the third inning that gave the Dodgers a lead.

MLBtv

Bellinger’s home run traveled an estimated 435 feet, roughly 14 feet farther than his infamous double to triples alley on Sunday, which seems like eons ago given (a) the other Dodgers news that has transpired in the interim; and (b) the smile on Dave Roberts’ face as he high-tenned Bellinger once he returned to the dugout.

The Dodgers have lost seven of their last eight games, including four straight losses for the second time this season.

Up next

Hyun-jin Ryu starts on Wednesday night, another 6:40 p.m. PT start in the desert. Zack Godley gets the start for Arizona, having the distinction of being the only Diamondbacks pitcher to lose to the Dodgers in 2018.

Tuesday particulars

Home runs: Cody Bellinger (4); A.J. Pollock (10), Christian Walker (1)

WP - Silvino Bracho (1-0): 1 IP, 2 walks, 1 strikeout

LP - Adam Liberatore (1-1): 0 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs

Sv - Brad Boxberger (10): 1 IP, 1 walk, 1 strikeout