There isn’t much to say about Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss by the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers – their second straight – to the National League East last-place Miami Marlins, so I won’t. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts summed it up perfectly after the game:

“That play ended the game but it certainly didn’t lose the game. We had many chances to win that game.”

That play was a wild pitch by Dodgers right-hander Blake Treinen with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning on a 0-1 count with placed-runner Starling Marte on second base.

For reasons that only he knows, Dodgers catcher Will Smith attempted to backhand the ball with his left knee firmly on the ground instead of not having his left knee firmly on the ground, scooting over to his right, and attempting to block the wild pitch with his entire body. As a result, the ball got past Smith, allowing Marte to take third base.

And then, again for reasons that only he knows, Smith tried to hurry a completely unnecessary – and errant – throw to Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, which got past Turner and into foul territory, allowing Marte to easily score the walk-off winning run.

“In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have thrown it, but it happens,” Smith said postgame.

Although there were, as Roberts accurately put it, “many chances to win that game,” it is difficult – if not impossible – to look beyond this one:

It is also difficult to ignore the fourth-inning strikeout by All-Star Mookie Betts with two outs and the bases loaded. In fact, Betts finished the night going 1-for-5 with three strikeouts to lower his 2021 season batting average to .246.

“I was surprised,” Betts answered when asked about his All-Star selection this year. “Actually, I haven’t played that great. So, yeah, I was definitely surprised.”

Not that great indeed. In fact, since June 1st, the 28-year-old Nashville, TN native and fifth-round draft pick in 2011 by the Boston Red Sox out of Overton High School in Nashville has struck out 25 times in 110 at-bats; or 22.73 percent of the time.

I’ve said far more than I had intended to.

Play Ball!

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