LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers walked a tightrope on Monday night, but stumbled in trying to balance the long- and short-term needs of the pitching staff in their loss to the Diamondbacks.
Allowing four total runs as a staff is hardly a sign for alarm, and if the Dodgers offense was able to build on their early 2-0 lead, or execute with the tying run in scoring position with nobody out in the eighth inning, this game might have had a different outcome.
The Dodgers knew they had a depleted bullpen on Monday, with Ross Stripling and Pedro Baez unavailable.