Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES — Confusion reigned in the 9th inning last night when Dave Roberts tried to save his bullpen by pitching position player Zach McKinstry in the top of the ninth inning with the Dodgers on the losing end of a 9-4 score against the New York Mets.
The game was stopped for several minutes while both benches and the umpiring crew tried to sort it out. Apparently, according to a rule change instituted in 2020, a position player may not pitch in a game unless the lead is more than six runs. At the time the Dodgers were facing only a 5-run deficit, thus making McKinstry ineligible to enter the game.
Crew chief C.B. Bucknor announced that McKinstry would not be allowed to pitch, and reliever Evan Phillips started warming in the Dodgers bullpen. Umpires then signaled that he needed to relocate his warm-up throws to the game mound, prompting bullpen coach Josh Bard to jog out of the bullpen and scream at umpires that Phillips wasn’t ready.
Broadcasters were scratching their heads as well, and fans, those who were still in the stadium in the lopsided game, were treated to an extended delay while Phillips quickly got loose on the mound.
After the game, Roberts explained his thinking. “It’s more of kind of looking at what you have, probability to win that game, to save an arm to win a series,” he said. “Ideally, I would’ve like to have Evan for two (innings) tomorrow. I’m still trying to manage to win a series and not just keep the game close.”
Roberts took ownership of the blunder, pointing to the Dodgers’ throwing Justin Turner as a position player last July in a 5-0 loss to Colorado, but acknowledged it occurred while the rule wasn’t being enforced.
“The goalposts have been moving a lot,” Roberts said with a shrug. “It’s an oversight on my part but I do recall we did it last year. That was on me.”
