June 2nd, 2022 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka For the second time in as many nights, poor baserunning decisions by the NL West first-place Dodgers cost them the game – and series – against the NL Central fourth-place Pittsburgh Pirates.
Following Tuesday’s baserunning gaff by future Hall of Famer Freddie Freeman, who tried to stretch a seventh-inning single into a double on a great throw by Pirates right fielder Jack Suwinski of what could have been the beginning of a comeback in the then 4-3 Pirates lead of the eventual 5-3 Dodgers loss, Wednesday night saw Dodgers centerfielder Chris Taylor thrown out at third base on a rare 3-5-3 double play to end the sixth inning.
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)
One inning later, Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux was thrown out at the plate after tagging up on a short flyball out to Pirates centerfielder Bryan Reynolds to complete an inning-ending 8-3 double play of the eventual 8-4 Dodgers loss to the Bucs.
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)
“Each case was sort of different,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, when asked about his team’s base running miscues during the three-game series against the (now) 22-27 Pirates. “The bottom line is that we had plenty of opportunities, plenty of baserunners all series to put up more runs and we just didn’t, we just didn’t.
“It’s not who we are, it’s baseball. You try not to dwell on this past series,” Roberts added. ” We’ve got a team that’s playing really good baseball coming in tomorrow night.”
That team is, of course, the NL East first-place New York Mets, with whom the Dodgers open a four-game series at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night.
“They made some really good plays, we made some not good plays on the baserunning plays,” Dodgers future Hall of Fame right fielder Mookie Betts said postgame. “Didn’t execute with guys in scoring position. We didn’t put up that good of a game and they did, so it is what it is.”
All of this said, one has to wonder what Dodgers Hall of Fame managers Tommy Lasorda and Walter Alston would have said to their respective teams about the Dodgers baserunning this past week.
Play Ball!
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Posted in 
The Dodgers have been playing bad baseball for the last week. They were fortunate to sweep in Arizona after all of their fundamental errors (base running and defense), but the Pirates took advantage of the Dodgers blunders. Sloppy baseball is unacceptable from a team as talented as the Dodgers — “good is not good when better is expected” — Vin Scully. Dave Roberts needs to make clear to certain players that their performance to date is unacceptable.
The players should certainly be embarrassed by their performances against the Pirates. Physical errors can be accepted, mental errors cannot. Someone needs to read them the riot act.
I don’t think Roberts is the type of manager to read anyone the riot act.