MILWAUKEE – They don’t want to hear about it.
“Well, (shoot),” Alex Vesia joked, playfully pretending that talking about the Dodgers’ bullpen’s scoreless innings streak would jinx it. “No I have not (realized it). That’s awesome.”
The streak reached 36 scoreless innings Saturday night – a franchise record and the longest scoreless streak by any bullpen since the Cleveland Guardians went 38 ⅔ innings in 2017. No Dodgers reliever has been charged with a run since May 12 against the San Francisco Giants.
“They’re on a heater,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the relievers. “It’s one of those things that when it doesn’t go well, they get the blame, and when it does go well, they don’t get a lot of credit. But they are getting the credit now, and it’s earned. So really happy for those guys. And actually, we’ve spread those innings pretty well with a lot of different arms.”
They have. Twelve different relievers have pitched in the 11 games of the streak – none of them named Edwin Diaz. The Dodgers’ bullpen has actually been the best in baseball with an MLB-low 2.90 ERA since Diaz’s last appearance on April 19.
“Since spring training, we’ve said everyone who is in spring training with us can get a shot, will get a shot. I think you’re seeing that,” Vesia said. “Guys are coming up prepared. Guys like Kyle Hurt. He worked out at the gym by my house during the offseason and I told him, ‘You can be a really big part of this bullpen’ and guess what? He’s been an awesome part of this bullpen.”
Hurt has a scoreless streak of his own going. He hasn’t been charged with a run over his past 14 innings.
“That’s a unique dynamic down there,” veteran Blake Treinen said of the ‘next man up’ mentality among the relievers. “It’s Diaz going down, Evan (Phillips) coming back at some point this year, Ves being Ves, Tanner (Scott) the way that he is. The cool thing, the biggest gap-filler for me is the improvement of Edgardo (Henriquez) and then the addition of Kyle. His changeup and fastball are really special.
“I don’t know if there’s any one standout force. Everyone is just doing a great job. Doesn’t matter how you get the outs, just get the outs. I think that’s been pretty neat to see.”
DAY TO DAY
Max Muncy remains day-to-day since being hit in the right wrist by a pitch in Friday’s game. Muncy’s wrist is still swollen and it’s possible he will have it further examined after the Dodgers return to Los Angeles.
“My expectation is that he’s getting a little better today and tomorrow maybe (he will) swing a bat,” Roberts said on Sunday. “But I don’t expect him in the lineup tomorrow.”
The Dodgers will activate Kike’ Hernandez from the 60-day Injured List on Monday (a move that will require a 40-man roster move as well). Hernandez underwent left elbow surgery following last year’s World Series. He hit .214 in 12 games on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
“There’s a different level of energy with Kike’,” Roberts said. “There’s a levity. There’s an intensity. There’s a good worker in there, a winning player. So I’m looking forward to having that edge. Obviously we’ve got a tougher (roster) decision to make. But getting him back will be good for us.”
POWER COMING
In eight games through Saturday after being given a day off, Shohei Ohtani was 14 for 31 (.452) with four doubles, a triple and a home run and had reached base 22 times in 40 plate appearances. But he had just two home runs in his past 23 games and 96 appearances and only eight home runs for the season. It is his lowest home run total through his first 51 games in a full season since his rookie year in 2018 (when he had seven).
“I think he’s taking great at-bats. Hit a ball hard yesterday, walked,” Roberts said. “I think he’s back to being who he is and the home runs will follow. … He’s just taking better at-bats. He’s in a better spot.”
UP NEXT
Rockies (TBD) at Dodgers (RHP Emmet Sheehan, 3-1, 4.93 ERA), Monday, 6:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM