By taking three of four from the Milwaukee Brewers, the Los Angeles Dodgers reached the second leg of their road trip having won seven of their last eight games. Their momentum came to a halt at Wrigley Field, as the Chicago Cubs won the first two games.
The series opener swung on borderline pitches that went against Kenta Maeda, and Wednesday’s game saw the Dodgers take a 3-0 lead and nearly battle back after falling behind 7-3. L.A. scored first on Thursday and hung on for a 2-1 victory.
Ross Stripling went 4.2 scoreless innings, and the Dodgers relied on their bullpen to get the final 13 outs. Pedro Baez was first to enter, followed by Caleb Ferguson, Joe Kelly and Kenley Jansen.
Despite some of his struggles, Kelly was entrusted with facing the heart of the Cubs’ lineup in the eighth inning. It was a spot that had been going to Dylan Floro, who conspicuously hadn’t yet appeared in the series.
According to David Vassegh of AM 570 L.A. Sports Radio, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts aimed to not call on Floro because of shoulder soreness that was a result of being hit:
Dave Roberts said Dylan Floro got hit by a ball in BP first day in Chicago. Sore shoulder so Dave wanted to stay away.
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) April 25, 2019
Floro anticipates possibly pitching on Friday night when the Dodgers begin a weekend series with the Pittsburgh Pirates:
Dylan Floro said he got hit in the shoulder on Tuesday while throwing on flat ground during BP and didn’t see the ball coming. He’s confident he’ll be available tomorrow. #Dodgers
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) April 25, 2019
Floro has been nothing short of spectacular this season. He’s allowed eight hits and struck out six against zero walks in 10.2 scoreless innings over 10 appearances.
The performance has been an extension of last season after Floro was acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds. He finished the 2018 season with a 1.63 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 54 appearances for the Dodgers.
