Tyler Glasnow struggles as Marlins end Dodgers

MIAMI — The approach right-handed starter Tyler Glasnow has pitched this 12 months when healthy made him an apparent selection for the Dodgers’ postseason rotation. But during the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss to the Marlins on Saturday, with the workforce on the cusp of clinching a playoff berth, he didn’t seem like that model of himself.

“I just think it was bad timing and trying to get on time,” Glasnow said. “It was just hard to find today. Just every pitch was kind of off.”

The Dodgers might have claimed a spot Saturday with a win and losses by the Diamondbacks and Padres. The Dodgers’ loss ended an eight-game successful streak.

The Dodgers (90-58) bought off to a good start Saturday, as shortstop Mookie Betts and third baseman Max Muncy hit back-to-back solo home runs in the first inning. But Glasnow rapidly gave up that lead.

He confirmed indicators of command issues in the first inning. With two outs, Glasnow hung a curveball to Griffin Conine, who drove it to heart area. Dodgers heart fielder Tommy Edman tracked it back to the warning monitor, but a step or two in entrance of the wall, he failed to secure it, and Conine trotted to second base.

Glasnow hit the next batter, Otto Lopez, on the hand and then walked Jakob Marsee to load the bases. But he escaped the jam by getting Javier Sanoja to line out to left area.

The next inning, Glasnow wasn’t so lucky.

Glasnow issued a leadoff stroll before Graham Pauley hit a fastball for a two-run homer. The Marlins (73-76) tacked on another run after three straight singles.

Glasnow settled in for the third and fourth innings, retiring six straight.

“I think it was just trying to move a little quicker and get my glove a little higher,” Glasnow said. “I was just ripping off everything. I kind of put a Band-Aid on it. Felt pretty good then it started to feel a little weird again.”

His pitch rely was already high. So when he walked the first two batters of the fifth, supervisor Dave Roberts pulled him. Glasnow threw 91 pitches.

“He just couldn’t get his rhythm,” Roberts said. “You could see he was fighting himself all game, and I know he didn’t feel great coming into the game as far as kind of overall body, but I don’t know what specifically.”

Glasnow said his back, which sidelined him for three and a half months earlier this season, “feels good.”

“Just figuring things out,” he said.

Reliever Jack Dreyer hit the first batter he confronted. Another run scored when a high toss by Betts to Alex Freeland pulled the second baseman off the bag. But Dreyer finally bought out of the inning with a double play began by Betts.

Though the bullpen held the Marlins scoreless the remainder of the best way, the Dodgers’ offense fell quiet until the ninth, when rookie Josue De Paula drew a stroll, superior to second on defensive indifference, and then scored on a single by Hunter Feduccia. Will Smith lined out to third to end the sport.

Over the past week, the Dodgers have taken benefit of a tender September schedule as they compete for playoff seeding.

Although Shohei Ohtani is on the injured record and Freddie Freeman is managing a sore proper knee, the remainder of the Dodgers’ lineup, apart from Saturday’s low-scoring effort, appears to be clicking at the suitable time.

“It’s baseball,” Muncy said. “You go through stretches that are good, you go through stretches that are bad. And this has been a good last week or so offensively for us, and it’s been a good last week overall.”

Teoscar Hernández went on a tear during the last homestand. Right fielder Kyle Tucker fixed his bat path and was rewarded with a three-hit, five-RBI efficiency Friday that included a grand slam. Now add in Betts and Muncy’s home runs.

But they still have work to do to clinch a playoff berth.

Freeman returns to lineup

Dodgers first baseman Freeman returned to the lineup Saturday after two video games off to relaxation his sore proper knee.

“He’s in a much better spot today,” Roberts said. “I think it’s one of those things where we’ve got to manage it.”

So, Roberts plans to choose spots in the approaching weeks to give him days off.

“We’ve just got to make sure he’s at optimal health when we finish the season,” Roberts said. “So I think that he might not love it, but giving him a day off here or there might be beneficial.”

Freeman went hitless in 4 at-bats, with three groundouts and a lineout to second.

“He didn’t seem like he was laboring like he was at home, which is a good thing,” Roberts said. “Now you’re talking about, how does the swing feel? I don’t think it feels great right now. So it was good to get him back in there, but I know he’s disappointed he couldn’t throw out a couple knocks.”

Rotation schedule

The Dodgers are set to start right-hander Emmett Sheehan on Sunday.

That means Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell are lined up to start the first three video games of the Cincinnati collection, which begins Monday. There’s an alternative for right-hander Roki Sasaki (proper center finger blister) to return from the IL to start Thursday in Cincinnati, but the Dodgers are still monitoring his progress.