Dodgers Interview: May tries to shake off solo shots
LOS ANGELES — Dustin May’s line on Saturday night—six innings, three earned runs, all via solo home runs—might look solid at first glance, and in many ways, it was. But for the Dodgers’ right-hander, it was another step in a slow, sometimes frustrating journey to regain full command and consistency after returning from injury. After the 7–3 loss to the Nationals, May spoke candidly about his performance and the ongoing effort to get all the pieces to click.
“The solo homers, they suck,” May said bluntly. “But they’re solo homers, so it’s just like, get in and get to the next one.”
Two of those long balls came in back-to-back at-bats in the fourth inning, which May acknowledged as a momentum killer. “That’s definitely not what you want to see in an outing,” he said. “But there were a lot of positives, and there were a few negatives in there too.”
For May, the outing marked his third straight start going at least five innings—a point of pride after a rocky stretch earlier in the year. More than the results, he’s focused on being able to take the ball every fifth day and give his team a shot.
“I haven’t been able to do that in the past,” he said. “So just being able to go out and pitch every time my name is called has been big. Whether it’s short, long, good, bad—I’m just happy to be able to go out and feel healthy coming out of it.”
Staying on the mound consistently is one thing. Getting his mechanics in sync from start to finish is another. May said he’s been working with the coaching staff to lock in his delivery, and for the first three innings, it felt like the adjustments were paying off.
“The first three innings were really good,” he said. “Then the last three, I was kind of scuffling, trying to figure it out. I just wasn’t in the right spots that I was in earlier in the game.”
James Wood’s fourth-inning blast was the most damaging mistake of the night—an absolute missile to center field—but May didn’t hesitate to tip his cap to the young Nationals slugger.
“He’s just a good hitter,” May said. “Feels like you’re pitching well, making just enough mistakes to leave you with a bad pitch.”
That’s been a recurring frustration for May—solid work undone by one or two pitches that miss just enough to do real damage. “It’s not that I want to say I took a pitch off,” he explained. “But it’s like—it’s one or two pitches every outing that’s really killing me.”
Still, the overall outing gave the Dodgers a chance. May struck out five, walked none, and continued a trend of improved control compared to earlier in the season. While he’s not satisfied yet, he’s encouraged that the pieces are beginning to come together.
“I’m getting to the point where I’d like for stuff to start trending in the right direction for a full outing,” he said. “But I’ll take the positives. And the biggest one is that I feel good.”
With the Dodgers navigating a string of injuries to the rotation and relying heavily on depth, May’s ability to take the mound and give them length remains critical. If he can tighten up those one or two mistake pitches a night, it won’t be long before he’s giving the Dodgers not just innings—but dominance.
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