It is a term that (unfortunately) became quite common back in the (very) early days of the original ThinkBlueLA forum – a ‘SHW’ game – ‘Should Have Won.’

On Friday night, the Dodgers lost a ‘SHW’ game to the Cleveland Guardians by a score of 2-1 in 10 innings. It was the fifth time that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts‘ team has lost in extra innings – which includes beginning the inning(s) with a placed / automatic (ghost) runner on second base – thus far this season.

“It’s kind of been a theme over the last month,” Roberts said postgame of his team’s very obvious shortcoming. “So, in that sense, we need to do something about it. If you don’t slug, you still have to find ways to move runners and drive runs in somehow. We’re just not doing a good job of that.

“In those situations, we’re not doing a good job moving that guy to third base to then create a situational opportunity,” Roberts added. “Tonight, you saw that with those guys, they did a nice job of that, and it ended up being a sac fly to drive in the winning run. Those are little things that certainly are magnified when you don’t score a bunch of runs. And extra innings, we haven’t been good at it.”

Not good indeed. The Dodgers are now 0-5 in extras.

But Friday night’s game was actually lost in the bottom of the ninth when Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger – who had given the Dodgers their one run on a mammoth 423-foot home run to right-center field in the second inning – led off the inning with a shift-busting single to left field. He then promptly stole second base for his eighth stolen base of the season. This was followed by a strikeout (swinging) by Dodgers right fielder Chris Taylor for the first out of the inning. Dodgers pinch-hitter Hanser Alberto then reached first base on a fielding error by Guardians right fielder Óscar González, who dropped a very catchable flyball; so catchable, in fact, that it apparently caught Bellinger by surprise, as he was unable to advance to third.

But with one out and the winning run in scoring position, things turned ugly for the Dodgers. After a pitching change, Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux struck out swinging on a 3-2 count on what Dodgers broadcaster Rick Monday said “…would have been ball four,” for the second out of the inning. Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner then lined out to González, who did not drop this one.

The Guardians managed to score their placed runner in the top of the 10th inning after a single by second baseman Andrés Giménez which was followed by a sacrifice fly to center by pinch hitter Richie Palacios to make it a 2-1 game. But in their half of the 10th and Trea Turner as the Dodgers placed runner on second, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman struck out swinging, catcher Will Smith grounded out to first, designated hitter Max Muncy walked, and third baseman Justin Turner struck out swinging to end the threat, the inning, and the game.

…a ‘SHW’ game.

Play Ball!

  *  *  *  *  *  *