Blind Squirrel Finds Nut: Rangers pummel Dodgers to end 16-game road losing streak

LOS ANGELES – The law of averages states that anything that CAN happen eventually WILL happen, given enough time and opportunity. So, we knew that it was possible that the lowly Rangers could blow out the World Series champion Dodgers in Dodger Stadium with Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer on the mound. We just didn’t think it was likely. Well, last night was the night, as the Rangers put a major hurt on the home team, winning a laugher by a score of 12-1. It was the worst loss for the Dodgers of the season. Go figure.

Bauer throws a clunker

Bauer didn’t look that great from the get-go. Isiah Kiner-Falefa stroked the third pitch of the game into centerfield for a single, and it was all downhill from there. He just wasn’t sharp on Saturday night, giving up a lot of solid contact, going deep in the count with hitters he should have been attacking, not paying much attention to runners on the bases. For a competitor like Bauer, it was a surprisingly flat and uninspired performance.

The big blows against Bauer on the evening were a two-run homer from light-hitting catcher Jonah Heim in the fourth, and a run-scoring triple from ex-Dodger Willie Calhoun in the seventh that sent him to the showers trailing 6-0. Now, after having a 1.96 ERA in May, his June ERA sits at 5.11.

“As the season goes along, you’re going to have outings like this. Things aren’t always going to go your way,” Bauer said after the game. “As a competitor, you have to find a way to get around it and continue to be successful and give your team a chance to win. I just didn’t do a good enough job of that tonight.” With the loss, Trevor Bauer goes to 6-5 on the season. Kolby Allard pitched five shutout innings for the Rangers to secure his second win of the year. Bauer’s line for a forgettable evening: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 8 K

Spin City?

Is it a coincidence that Bauer’s slide is coming after MLB announced a stricter adherence to enforcing rules on foreign substances for pitchers? Perhaps. After seeing a decrease of 214 revolutions per minute from his season average on the four-seamer in the start against the Braves, the spin on Bauer’s fastball was 206 rpm below his season average on Saturday. His cutter, which he threw 25 times, also saw the spin decrease by 134 rpm. “I’m not concerned about it,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, when asked about Bauer’s decrease in spin rate. “I think it just comes down to making pitches.”

Burns debuts, Pollock crushes

A grand total of two good things happened for the Dodgers last night. Journeyman Andy Burns, making his Dodgers debut, got his first big-league hit on a slow bouncer that Kiner-Falefa couldn’t handle at short. And, just for fun, Burns was called on to mop up the slop in the ninth inning when the game got way out of hand.

The other nice moment was when AJ Pollock went deep in the seventh for a solo shot. He greeted reliever Taylor Hearn with blast to center field on 97-mile-an-hour gas. Pollock continues to play well after his return from the IL, hitting .280 with a home run and three RBI since rejoining the team.

Dodgers go for series win Sunday

After Friday’s offensive outburst, it was not much to write home about at all. Justin Turner did get a couple of hits that didn’t amount to anything, so that was good to see. Of concern was that fact that Max Muncy is now on the IL (which prompted the Burns call-up from OKC). It’s an oblique injury that sidelined Muncy, so it looks like it’s going to be a multiple week stay for the Dodgers best hitter in the first half of the season. The Dodgers get right back on the horse on Sunday afternoon, sending Walker Buehler to the mound to right the ship. Dane Dunning gets the ball for Texas. 1:10 first pitch.