You knew it was coming.

After entering his first-ever major league game out of the Dodgers bullpen, issuing a one-out walk, giving up a base hit, and hitting a batter to load the bases, 21-year-old Dodgers rookie right-hander Dustin May, making only his fourth major league appearance and first in relief (having spent nearly his entire minor league career as a starter), served up an absolute meatball to Atlanta Braves center fielder Rafael Ortega on a 1-2 count that former Dodgers legend and current broadcaster Rick Monday described as “Right down Broadway.”

It landed in the Braves bullpen 390 feet away in right-center field for a devastating grand slam home run and just like that, with one swing of the bat, Ortega’s sixth-inning blast turned a 3-1 Dodgers lead into a 5-3 Dodgers loss – May’s second of the season, with one win. He allowed four runs on three hits, with a walk and a hit batsman in his 2.0 innings of work. He did not record a strikeout, made 51 total pitches (33 strikes), and saw his ERA balloon from an outstanding 2.65 to a less-than-stellar 4.26 in his (now) combined 19.0 innings pitched.

For Ortega, it was his first home run of the season in only his fourth game and sixth at-bat. It was also his first career grand slam.

“I mean, obviously, clearly, it was lack of command,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo after the game. “I think that as far as the role [change], this is something that we knew … didn’t expect it to just be seamless, and to kind of give him an opportunity to learn and get his feet wet. And as far as the make-up, Dustin is not going to make any excuses.

“I think it’s just more of trying maybe a little bit too hard, I guess,” Roberts added. “You know, when you’re trying to overthrow the breaking ball and the arm doesn’t catch up, or overthrow the two-seamer that just doesn’t get there, the cutter. But it’s a learning process. So my faith, my confidence in Dustin hasn’t wavered. Dustin is going to be absolutely better than fine.”

Probably true, considering that the Dodgers still have an 18.5-game lead in the National League West over the second-place San Francisco Giants; but still.

Does leading the division by 18.5 games and having the best record in the National League and the second-best record in all of baseball (one game behind the New York Yankees) allow Roberts to experiment like this?

“Yeah, it does,” Roberts answered Rizzo. “And credit to our guys, we’ve put ourselves in a situation and, you know, ultimately, you’re focusing now a little bit – not trying to get too far ahead of things – but how you win eleven games in October.

“And to have Dustin, really hasn’t thrown out of the pen outside of spring training probably, so to kind of run the play out, to kind of check a box, to get familiarity with it, it’s a good thing,” Roberts added. “So right now, he feels bad because of the results and we lost a baseball game, but we didn’t lose it because of Dustin.”

Truer words have never been spoken.

Aside from Cody Bellinger‘s three-run home run in the top of the first inning – his MLB-leading 42nd – and despite nine Dodger batters coming to the plate in the first inning, the Dodgers finished the day with a grand total of nine hits but only one other extra-base hit; a first-inning double by left fielder Kyle Garlick. Additionally, the Dodgers went a collective 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, while stranding seven men on base. In other words, the Dodgers definitely didn’t lose because of Dustin May.

So, what’s next for the Dodgers’ third-round draft pick in 2016 out of Northwest High School in his hometown of Justin, TX?

“He’ll throw a bullpen in a couple days and we’ll get him back in the pen, and we’ll continue to grow,” Roberts said.

Have to agree with Doc: “Dustin is going to be absolutely better than fine.”

…and that’s absolutely a good thing.

Play Ball!

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