Posts

Posted on

Lakers unravel after Luka Doncic is ejected, suffering a blowout loss to Thunder

Lakers guard Luka Doncic extends his arms and pleads with the refs after he was given his second technical and ejected
Lakers guard Luka Doncic extends his arms and pleads with the refs after he was given his second technical and ejected during his team's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. (Joshua Gateley / Getty Images)

The Lakers had equity, earning it in a dominant win Sunday afternoon against the best team in the West.

They had reasons to punt on Tuesday's rematch with the Oklahoma City Thunder, namely a game on Wednesday in Dallas and a schedule that demanded they win just two more times to secure the third seed in their conference, putting them in strong position for a deep playoff run.

And Monday, when they issued an injury report with the bulk of their rotation listed as “questionable,” it sure seemed like the Lakers were going to let big-picture thinking get in the way of the game in front of them.

But the message from JJ Redick was clear.

Lakers forward LeBron James passes over the top of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams
Lakers forward LeBron James passes over the top of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams Tuesday in Oklahoma City. (Kyle Phillips / Associated Press)

“We can control whether or not we get the [No. 3] seed and we've got four chances to get two wins,” the Lakers coach said before Tuesday's game. “I'd like to win them all. So yeah, that's the thought."

The Lakers played hard, they played with passion. They made mistakes and turned the ball over but they fought. They and the Thunder delivered on the kind of big-game intensity you’d want when two of the NBA’s top teams meet in April.

And then Luka Doncic got ejected.

“It was a great game. It was a great game that unfortunately didn't get to finish out the way that I think every basketball fan would want because of some decision making on some individuals' parts," Redick said.

Official J.T. Orr ejected Doncic, who already had been called for a technical foul in the second half, after Doncic scored to put the Lakers up in the fourth and yelled in Orr’s direction. The Lakers and Doncic argued he was yelling at a courtside fan but it didn’t matter. Orr thought he was the target, according to a postgame statement from crew chief Tony Brothers, and Doncic’s night was done.

And essentially so were the Lakers, headed to a 136-120 loss and forced to settle for a split.

The Thunder outscored them by 17 in the 7 minutes 40 seconds after Doncic got ejected.

“You can see it that it happened. But I never got a fan ejected. Never. But if he's gonna talk, I'm gonna talk back like always,” Doncic said. “So that had nothing to do with the ref. So I didn't really understand.”

Doncic received his first technical arguing for Jarred Vanderbilt when the Lakers’ reserve forward felt he was fouled. One possession after Doncic was thrown out after his second technical, Orr called Vanderbilt for a taunting technical foul after blocking Alex Caruso’s shot at the rim.

“The game was just weird as hell after that moment,” LeBron James said.

The Thunder blitzed the Lakers in the final six minutes, pulling away for what ended up looking like an easy win, the atmosphere clearly deflated from Los Angeles’ perspective.

“I mean it's a playoff game,” guard Austin Reaves said of the on-court energy. “I said the atmosphere was amazing. And everybody was competing. ... And for the game to kind of get unraveled in that situation, it was unfortunate, like I said, but we have to be better as a group to control that from happening."

James finished with 28 points, Reaves had 24 and Doncic had 23. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 42 points, the Thunder turning the Lakers’ 19 turnovers into 29 points.

Despite the turnovers, the Lakers managed the energy from the Thunder — a team the Lakers beat badly Sunday — in the first half of the rematch. They largely matched the Thunder shot for shot, with Doncic and Reaves leading the way, and in the third quarter, the Lakers’ defense took over, holding the Thunder to 17 points.


But following Doncic’s ejection in the fourth, the Thunder made a push. Redick said after the game he was too slow to call time out to try to snuff out Oklahoma City’s momentum, and the game quickly slipped away.

There’s no time for emotional hangovers. The Lakers play Doncic’s former team, the Mavericks, on Wednesday in Dallas, still needing to stack wins in order to guarantee themselves a top-three seed.

“Of course, there's gonna be a lot of emotion for me,” Doncic said. “I don't really know what to expect. I don't know how I'm gonna feel, honestly. I'm looking forward to being back in Dallas, obviously, with the fans, seeing my teammates — ex-teammates. It's gonna be very emotional for me, for sure.”

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Posted on

Painful 4–1 Loss in Montreal Costs Red Wings Their Playoff Hopes

Apr 8, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Josh Anderson (17) checks Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Motte (14) during the first period at the Bell Centre. (Eric Bolte, Imagn Images)

On Tuesday night at the Bell Center in Montreal, not long before 10 pm local time, whatever remained of the Detroit Red Wings' playoff aspirations shriveled in upon itself in a 4–1 loss to the Canadiens. 

A game the Red Wings dominated for long stretches, a game contested much closer than the final score suggested, but ultimately a game from which one possible outcome—regulation victory—could provide any reasonable foundation from which Detroit could built to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The mathematical probability of securing that berth hasn't yet sunk to zero, but the Red Wings trail Montreal by eight points with five games to play, and at the end of a playoff push that's felt more like a slow death, Detroit appears to have at last squandered its last opportunity to pull within striking distance of the cut line.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

From a Red Wings perspective, there is no shortage of reasons for Tuesday's loss to sting.  To begin with, there is the macro: (all but certainly) a ninth straight season without qualifying for the playoffs, extending the longest such streak in franchise history and second longest active streak around the NHL.  Then there is the opponent and the biting frustration at being leap-frogged in the Atlantic Division queue by a Canadiens team in the bottoming out stage of rebuilding than Detroit was.

Trending Red Wings Stories

Red Wings Axel Sandin Pellikka Is Breaking Playoff Records

Red Wings Weekly Recap: Augustine, Kane, & Playoff Hunt

Red Wings Recall Austin Watson for Road Trip

"Sometimes It's Easier to Be the Hunter than the Hunted": Detroit Looks to Keep Hunting vs. Panthers

Then, considering just the game itself, the Red Wings could rightly return to their locker room at the end of the night with an agonizing sense that the evening's game was there to be won, theirs to win.

In the first, Detroit outshot the Habs 23–4 in one of its most dominant periods of the season.  Thanks to a canny Patrick Kane set up for Dylan Larkin at the back door, the Red Wings had a lead, but they managed just the one goal despite the offensive volume.

Montreal evened the score with three and a half minutes to play in the second.  At the end of an extended Canadiens stay in the Detroit end of the rink, Habs defenseman Mike Matheson fired a puck to the net, where Cam Talbot was unable to squeeze it and Cole Caufield won the battle for the rebound, which he tucked home.

Moments later, the Red Wings had a glorious chance to re-take their lead, when an aggressive carom off the end boards left J.T. Compher with a wide open net.  With Montreal defenseman Guhle bearing down, attempting to swat the puck to safety, Compher sailed his shot over the cage, leaving the score tied.

After Detroit had dominated the first and controlled most of the second, the Habs—who'd managed to hold level at 1–1 through two—prevailed in the decisive third period.  That period saw some of Talbot's best saves as a Red Wing, including a brilliant technical stop with his glove to deny Josh Anderson at point blank range, but Montreal outshot its guests 10–4 and scored once to take the lead then twice into an empty net to run away with a 4–1 win.

Not long after Talbot's excellent denial, Anderson scored what would prove the game-winner.  First Brenden Gallagher beat out an icing to win the Canadiens possession deep in the offensive zone and initiating the cycle.  In the battle for the puck behind Talbot's net, Albert Johansson lost his helmet.  By rule, because he was not directly involved in the play (or at least he judged himself not to be, such that he feared playing on would draw a penalty), Johansson had to gather the helmet and return it to his head before playing on.  As he did so, Anderson found himself wide open a pocket ice of just beyond Talbot's crease, and this time he left the goaltender no choice.

The two empty net goals made the final result more lopsided than the game played out, but in truth, Detroit's season was over as soon as it had to chase the game at six-on-five in the first place.  To make up meaningful ground in the wild card race, the Red Wings really needed not just a victory but a regulation victory.

But that distinction proved moot.  Montreal claimed regulation victory, and the Red Wings are left to stare into the precipice of a ninth straight playoff miss after losing what was undeniably the biggest game of the year.  Detroit has five games left.  It can win those and hope.

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites. 

Posted on

CLINCHED: Despite Losing In Columbus, Ottawa Senators Clinch First Playoff Spot In Eight Years

Despite a 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night, the Ottawa Senators' eight-year playoff drought—the third longest in the NHL—has finally come to an end.

Apr 8, 2025: Former Ottawa 67 Sean Monahan wrists a shot past Senators goalie Anton Forsberg for a goal at Nationwide Arena (Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images).

The Senators backed into the postseason, earning their "X" in the standings after the Detroit Red Wings lost 4-1 to the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. The Wings outshot the Habs 23-4 in the first period.

That result means the Senators clinch at least the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Until tonight, the Red Wings were the only current non-playoff team in the East still capable (barely) of catching Ottawa.

While the Senators' three-game win streak was halted, there was one bright spot in Columbus: Fabian Zetterlund scored his first goal as a Senator. Since being acquired from the San Jose Sharks at the trade deadline, Zetterlund had no goals and two assists in 15 games.

With the Sens down 2-0 in the second period, the big Swede finally caught a bit of luck. Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins couldn’t control the rebound after a point shot from Claude Giroux, and Zetterlund was able to tuck the puck into an empty net.

That gave the Senators some hope with under four minutes left in the second period, but it was quickly extinguished with just 22 seconds remaining in the middle frame when Mathieu Olivier deflected a shot in off his skate. That seemed to be the backbreaker. 

Olivier, Kent Johnson, and Justin Danforth each registered two points for the Blue Jackets. The shot count was dead even at 35, but Merzlikins outperformed Anton Forsberg on this night.

Thomas Chabot led the Ottawa offence with a goal and an assist in his 509th game with the club. He debuted with the Sens in the 2016-17 season – the year the Sens last went to the playoffs. So Chabot has been through every bit of the losing and frustration of the past eight years. The 28-year-old said you'll rarely ever catch him smiling after a loss, but Tuesday night felt great.

"It definitely does," Chabot told TSN 1200's Gord Wilson. "From top to bottom, I think everybody just took a huge step this year. Everybody did whatever they could every single night to get into the playoffs. And obviously, now that it's confirmed, we've still got some games to play, but I think the entire group is just freaking fired up. We're just excited to get in. We can't wait to go at it."

The Canadiens’ sixth consecutive win had major playoff implications for the Senators, both good and bad. On the one hand, as mentioned, it vaulted the Sens officially into the playoffs, but that wasn't really in doubt – it was almost certainly going to happen shortly, one way or the other.

But the victory also left Montreal just three points behind Ottawa for the top wild-card spot. Things could still change, but based on the current standings, the top wild card team would get the Toronto Maple Leafs in round one. The second wild card team will almost certainly face the Washington Capitals.

The Senators and Canadiens each have only four games remaining in the regular season, and they'll go head-to-head at the Canadian Tire Centre this Friday night.

More Sens Headlines:

Remember When: Five Outstanding 2017 Ottawa Senator Playoff Trivia Questions

Top 10: Jake Sanderson Takes His Offensive Production To A New Level

One On One: GM Steve Staios' Additions Help To Reset The Ottawa Senators

What's Going On With The Injury To Brady Tkachuk?

Battle of Ontario: Debating Who Would Win A Senators-Leafs Playoff Series

Posted on

Celtics sweep Knicks in regular-season series as Kristaps Porzingis, Jayson Tatum outplay Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson

The Knicks' 2024-25 regular season against the Boston Celtics ended in an 0-4 record with Tuesday's 119-117 overtime loss.

Takeaways

  1. Ex-Knick Kristaps Porzingis turned the clock back with a 34-point effort, going 11-of-19 shooting and hitting on an 8-for-13 clip from deep in 39 minutes. Fourteen of his points came in a pivotal third quarter where the Celtics (59-20) outscored New York (50-29) 31-20, turning a 58-52 Knicks halftime lead into an 83-78 Boston edge entering the fourth. Porzingis drilled a 30-foot trey with 40.1 seconds left in overtime that served as the dagger, putting New York down 115-112. He was the difference in a game where each side needed a third option to step up.
  2. While Karl-Anthony Towns tied Porzingis for a game-high 34 points on 14-of-21 shooting and grabbed 14 rebounds in 43 minutes for the double-double, his quiet third quarter with only a bucket came at a time when Porzingis caught fire. Compounding the Knicks' inability to keep pace with the Celtics, Mikal Bridges (14 points on 6-of-15 shooting and a costly turnover late in the overtime period) did not pick up the slack on either end of the floor while OG Anunoby (13 points on 5-of-13 shooting) came back down to earth after Sunday's breakout game against the Phoenix Suns.
  3. Fortunately for New York, Jalen Brunson continues to trend in an upward trajectory as he gets his conditioning back. Brunson's second game back from a month-long injury absence saw him complement Towns with 27 points and nine assists in 38 minutes. Jayson Tatum, to his credit, was simply better.
  4. In a game where the Knicks had a chance to prove that they could hang with the Celtics or at least mount their momentum into the playoffs before a potential postseason rematch, Boston gave New York a possible reality check. Not only does the Knicks' regular season end with four losses to the Celtics, who are the Eastern Conference's second seed, but Tom Thibodeau's team remains winless against contenders like the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers at 0-3.

Who's the MVP?

Tatum, who rose above co-star Jaylen Brown's six points in 22 minutes with 32 points on 11-of-22 shooting over 47 minutes. Notably, Tatum's game-tying triple with 3.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter forced overtime and gave Boston the life that it needed to survive.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks are at the Detroit Pistons for Thursday's 7 p.m. game. Friday's 7:30 p.m. home finale against the Cavs follows before Sunday's 1 p.m. tipoff at the Nets closes the regular season.

Posted on

Trendon Watford leads Nets to 119-114 win over Pelicans

NEW YORK (AP) — Trendon Watford scored 22 points, Drew Timme had 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench and the Brooklyn Nets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 119-114 on Tuesday night to snap a five-game home losing streak.

Timme completed a three-point play with 4:06 remaining in the third quarter to give the Nets the first double-digit lead of the game at 83-71.

The Pelicans rallied. Antonio Reeves made a reverse layup while being fouled with 1:29 left and added the free throw to pull New Orleans within 116-109. After a Timme miss, Reeves added a 3-pointer at 53.1 to get within four.

But, Tosan Evbuomwan sealed it with a 3-pointer at the other end with 35 seconds left.

Dariq Whitehead scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half for Brooklyn (26-53). Evbuomwan and Nic Claxton each scored 13, Maxwell Lewis had 12 and Tyson Etienne 11. Reece Beekman had a career-high 10 assists with just one turnover.

Reeves and Karlo Matkovic each scored 17 for New Orleans (21-58). Jose Alvarado added 16 points, Jamal Cain had 15 and Keion Brooks Jr. 14. Elfrid Payton finished with 10 assists.

New Orleans lost its fourth straight road game and is 7-33 away from home.

Takeaways

Pelicans: The lottery-bound Pelicans, who have their worst record in 20 years, have shelved seven of their top eight scorers with long-term injuries, including Zion Williamson.

Nets: Brooklyn completed a season sweep of New Orleans for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign.

Key moment

The Nets scored 43 points in the third quarter to pull away. It was their most points in any quarter this season.

Key stat

Brooklyn finished 17 of 40 from 3-point range, with Whitehead making 4 of 6 first-half attempts.

Up next

Both teams play Thursday. New Orleans continues its road trip at Milwaukee, while the Nets host the Atlanta Hawks.

Posted on

Grizzlies' Jaylen Wells taken off court on stretcher after nasty fall following reckless foul

Memphis Grizzlies v Charlotte Hornets

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 08: Jaylen Wells #0 of the Memphis Grizzlies lays on the court after an injury during the first half of a basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on April 08, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Let's hope all that came out of this was a broken wrist. It could have been worse—much, much worse.

Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells had to be taken off the court Tuesday night after a nasty fall, following a reckless challenge by Charlotte's KJ Simpson on a Wells' breakaway dunk. (If you want to see a video of the foul, follow this link.)

After review, the referees upgraded the foul on Simpson to a Flagrant 2 and he was ejected. At least a fine and maybe a game suspension will follow.

Wells is "awake, alert and moving his extremities... [but] has sustained a broken right wrist," ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. That is all incredibly good news.

Wells is in the conversation for Rookie of the Year, averaging 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds a game and plays key rotation minutes for one of the West's quality teams. This clearly ends his season a few games early, but hopefully, he will be back without incident at the start of next season.

Posted on

Blackhawks Shut Out By Penguins; Split Season Series

Image

On Sunday night, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 at the United Center. They put together a strong 60 minute in order to secure the victory. It included holding onto a one goal third period lead and throwing one into the empty net.

On Tuesday night, the Blackhawks looked to sweep the home & home with the Penguins as they took their annual trip to the PPG Paints Arena. Unfortunately, things did not go Chicago’s way this time. 

Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, and Kevin Hayes were the goal scorers (Hayes had two) en route to a 5-0 victory. Tristan Jarry blanked the Blackhawks for his second shutout of the season. 

Spencer Knight has had some up and down moments in his Blackhawks tenure. This was more of a down as he allowed 5 goals on 27 shots, but the team didn’t do him any favors defensively. 

Early in the game, it looked like the Blackhawks were going to be able to outskate the Penguins for the second game in a row, but things got out of hand quickly. That happens with young teams like the Blackhawks. 

This is only the second time in 2024-25, if you can believe it, that the Blackhawks were shut out. They are not a winning team, but they haven't had much of a problem finding the net at least once per game. Jarry, who has had a trying year for Pittsburgh, found a way to shut the door in this one. 

Over their last four games, the Hawks faced all-time great superstars like Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, and Alexander Ovechkin. They didn't do a ton of winning throughout that stretch but the young guys were able to see first-hand how those guys play. 

Now, the East Coast road swing will continue with a game against the Boston Bruins on Thursday. Boston isn't a great team anymore but they will still present a solid challenge for this Blackhawks group trying to develop over the final four games. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

Posted on

Missed Opportunity: Devils Unable To Clinch Playoff Spot Against Bruins

On a night that could have ended in celebration and securing a playoff spot, the New Jersey Devils skated off the ice frustrated and on the losing end of a 7-2 score. The team remains one point shy of punching their ticket to the postseason. 

Apr 8, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) celebrates the Bruins win over the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

The Boston Bruins dominated New Jersey, earning two points after 60 minutes. Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier were New Jersey's lone goal scorers. Their goals were 19 seconds apart. 

The Bruins capitalized on a Jesper Bratt turnover at the Devils blue line at the 9:38 mark of the first period. David Pastrnak scored his 41st goal of the season to open the scoring. The 28-year-old has factored in 12 straight Bruins goals (six goals, six assists) dating to Apr. 1 for the most in Boston history.

Michael Callahan extended the Bruins lead to 2-0 in the final seconds of the opening frame. It was the 25-year-old's first career NHL goal. Pastrnak collected an assist and his second point of the night. 

Jakub Lauko gave the Bruins a 3-0 lead early in the second period. It was his fourth goal of the 2024-25 campaign. 

Noesen beat opposing goaltender Jeremy Swayman on a delayed penalty at the 13:51 mark of the middle frame. Daniel Sprong picked up his first point as a Devil, earning the primary assist. Nico Hischier extended his point streak to four games with his secondary assist.  

Seconds later, Meier scored his 25th goal of the season, bringing New Jersey within one. Erik Haula picked up the lone helper. It was the perfect example of good things happening when you get pucks on net. 

The Devils gave up a goal with 52.9 seconds remaining. Casey Mittelstadt fired the puck toward Markstrom near the Devils' blue line. The puck hit Seamus Casey's stick and deflected past New Jersey's goaltender. 

The Bruins held a 4-2 lead over the Devils going into the second intermission. 

Morgan Geekie's 30th goal of the season gave the Bruins a 5-2 lead. The Devils had an inexcusable defensive zone breakdown, leaving the 26-year-old alone in front of Markstrom. Two minutes later, Fraser Minten gave Boston a 6-2 lead. 

After Cole Koepke scored for a 7-2 score, Keefe replaced Markstrom with Jake Allen. The former faced 23 shots and made 16 saves. The latter saved both shots faced. 

The Devils will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday at Prudential Center. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

Hischier's Manager Patrick Fischer: 'He's Driven to Succeed, but Not Easily Satisfied'

Posted on

Bonuses for Wallabies wins in Rugby Australia’s new $240m TV broadcast deal

  • Improved deal struck with Nine Entertainment over five years
  • Extra money to reward key wins during 2026-2030 period

Rugby Australia has signed a five-year extension to its broadcast rights agreement with Nine Entertainment in a deal worth up to $240m. It runs from 2026-2030 and includes performance incentives linked to Wallabies wins, Nine-owned newspapers reported.

“[It] represents a significant uplift on Rugby Australia’s current broadcast agreement and follows a successful organisational reset in 2024,” RA said in a statement.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Devils allow four unanswered goals in 7-2 loss to Bruins

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — David Pastrnak scored and added two assists to reach the 100-point mark and Jeremy Swayman made 20 saves as the Boston Bruins routed the New Jersey Devils 7-2 on Tuesday night.

Michael Callahan, Jakub Lauko, Casey Mittelstadt, Morgan Geekie, Fraser Minten and Cole Koepke also scored for the Bruins, who won for only the second time in their last 13 games.

Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier scored for New Jersey, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.

Pastrnak opened the scoring at 9:38 of the first, beating Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom for his team-leading 41st goal.

Callahan made it 2-0 with his first NHL goal at 19:24 of the first. Lauko increased the lead at 1:45 of the second.

Noesen broke through for the Devils at 13:51 with his 21st goal. Meier scored his 25th just 19 seconds later.

Geekie added his 30th at 4:58 of the third, followed by Minten’s third at 6:55 and Koepke’s 10th at 10:50.

The seven goals were the most scored by Boston in a game this season.

Markstrom allowed seven goals on 23 shots before he was replaced by Jake Allen midway through the third.

Takeaways

Devils: Still need one point to clinch a postseason spot for the second time in three seasons.

Bruins: Won on the road for the first time since March 8. Boston is 12-25-3 in away games this season.

Key moment

Mittelstadt’s goal with 53 seconds left in the second gave Boston a two-goal cushion heading into the third period. Boston would score three more times in the final period.

Key stat

By scoring Boston’s first goal and assisting on the second, the 28-year-old Pastrnak factored in 13 straight Bruins goals dating to April 1 with six goals and seven assists during the streak. He reached the 100-point mark for the third straight season.

Up next

Devils: Hosting Pittsburgh on Friday.

Bruins: Hosting Chicago on Thursday.

Posted on

Without Blake Snell, Dodgers' highly touted pitching depth falters in loss to Nationals

Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski throws from the mound during a loss to the Nationals on Tuesday
Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski was battered in a loss to the Nationals on Tuesday in Washington. (Nick Wass / Associated Press)

As the Dodgers constructed their roster this winter, they made pitching depth one of their top priorities.

In its first test Tuesday night, it failed in disastrous fashion.

During the weekend, the Dodgers' rotation suffered its first injury, placing veteran starter Blake Snell, their $182-million offseason signing, on the injured list because of shoulder inflammation.

On Tuesday they struggled to replace him for his scheduled start, losing 8-2 to the Washington Nationals after triple-A call-up Justin Wrobleski was knocked around for eight runs in five innings.

Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani walks back to the dugout after striking out against the Nationals
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani walks back to the dugout after striking out in the third inning against the Nationals Tuesday in Washington. (Nick Wass / Associated Press)

"Obviously, losing Blake for whatever period of time, certain guys are going to get opportunities,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “You want them to try to not to put too much pressure on a particular outing and go out there and compete.”

The good news for the Dodgers: They shouldn’t be without Snell for long.

Though the left-hander said he had been pitching through discomfort for three weeks (including his first two starts, in which he logged just nine total innings while walking eight batters and giving up seven runs, albeit only two earned), an MRI scan showed no structural damage in Snell’s shoulder. A meeting with head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday confirmed that Snell will not need an injection or any other medical intervention.

The plan is to have Snell begin throwing again at the start of next week.

“That was best-case scenario,” Roberts said of the prognosis.

“Just rest until Monday,” Roberts added, “and we'll pick back up from there."

But barely two weeks into the season, Snell’s absence forced the Dodgers (9-4) to start dipping into their highly touted pool of pitching depth — one they desperately tried to replenish this offseason after nearly running out of healthy arms during last October’s run to a World Series title.

Read more:Dodgers place starting pitcher Blake Snell on injured list

And while their options looked good on paper, Tuesday served as a reminder that, for now at least, they are far from having foolproof insurance plans.

Coming off a turbulent rookie season in which he had a 5.70 earned-run average in eight outings, Wrobleski did not fare any better in his return to the majors.

Two batters into the game, the 11th-round draft pick gave up a two-run home run to James Wood. In the second inning Wrobleski got two outs before giving up a single, walking three straight to plate a run, then yielding a two-run single to former Dodgers farmhand Keibert Ruiz. A clean third inning was immediately followed by three more runs in the fourth, including another two-run blast from Wood.

“It’s just about doing your job when you’re called upon, and today I didn’t do a good job of that,” Wrobleski said. “You’ve always got to stay ready. I felt I did a good job of that. But unfortunately came up today and had a tough outing. That’s baseball."

On a windy 46-degree night in the nation’s capital, the Dodgers’ long innings on defense did little to help their bats warm up.

During their first three trips to the plate, they were shut out by opener Brad Lord — a 24-year-old right-hander who made the opening day roster for the Nationals (5-6) after working at a Home Depot in the offseason.

Not until the fifth inning, when the deficit had ballooned to 8-0, did the Dodgers finally get on the board via a slump-busting home run from Andy Pages (who had started the season four for 35 but reached base three times Tuesday night).

After that, Kiké Hernández’s solo blast in the eighth (his fourth hit of the year, all homers) was the only other scoring. In all, the Dodgers had just eight hits while striking out 15 times.

“Just kind of up and down the lineup, the at-bat quality, we're just not having team at-bats,” Roberts said, with the club now sporting just a .230 batting average. “The results are showing.”

The Dodgers' Kiké Hernandez rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the team's loss to the Nationals
The Dodgers' Kiké Hernandez rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the team's loss to the Nationals Tuesday in Washington. (Nick Wass / Associated Press)

It’s on the mound, however, where the Dodgers face their most pressing concerns.

The Dodgers will turn to another depth arm for Wednesday’s series finale, planning to call up Landon Knack to make a scheduled spot start. Given their reluctance to throw Japanese starters Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki on four days’ rest, such roster scrambling figures to be common until Snell’s return, potentially drawing other names such as Bobby Miller (who has a 2.97 ERA but also eight walks in his first two triple-A starts) into the short-term picture.

“I don't think that anyone expected us to go unscathed all year, whether it's out of the 'pen or starter. It's where we're at,” Roberts said before the game. ”But I do think that we knew that we had a lot of viable options to backfill."

Granted, the Dodgers do not have their full complement of pitching depth. Tony Gonsolin opened the season on the injured list after tweaking his back while lifting weights near the end of spring training. He is on a rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City, where he is scheduled to pitch three innings Wednesday, and remains weeks away from being available, according to Roberts.

Read more:Dodgers hitters get first look at new star-studded pitching staff: ‘I mean, we’re loaded’

Clayton Kershaw (still working back from offseason toe and knee surgeries) and Emmet Sheehan (completing his rehab from Tommy John surgery last year) are on the 60-day IL and won’t be options until the middle of the season.

Shohei Ohtani, meanwhile, still is being slow-played in his pitching program — limited to weekly bullpen sessions and not yet cleared to use his full pitch mix or throw at top velocity.

“He understands that the goal is to make sure he’s firing on all cylinders towards the end of the season and into October,” Roberts said. “We’re in lockstep.”

In the meantime, though, it leaves a team that was built to have ample pitching depth in a suddenly precarious place for the next few weeks.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.