The bats woke up long enough in Cincinnati to set the stage for a horrifying bullpen implosion, and it seems they didn’t want to risk that again.
There were a couple opportunities – in the 5th and 8th – for runs tonight, but double plays (including a botched bunt) wiped them off the board. Otherwise, save for a beautiful Fake Rally in the 9th, it was just so painfully quiet.
Overall, you have to regard Duane Underwood’s fill-in debut as a success. The Dodgers ground him through a 41-pitch first inning with a couple walks (one of which took 14 pitches), a deep count single, and a fly out to the track in center field with the bases loaded, but he was pretty smooth after that. More on him tomorrow.
The bullpen was solid from there, keeping things close. Maybe if Justin Wilson doesn’t give up a late pinch-hit solo homer to Chris Taylor (a recent Cubs speciality), that 9th inning is different. But it didn’t matter. Nothing matters. Everything hurts.