It was a strategic surrender, a white flag waved in the heat of a rivalry fight. Every once in a while in baseball, the smartest play isn’t the one that tries to win the game at hand. It’s the one that preserves your team for the wars of the future. For Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, a recent decision felt uncomfortable and awkward. It was a calculated retreat born from a crisis that can still derail a “super team’s” title challenge.The moment came on Tuesday night at Petco Park. The Dodgers were playing their NL West rivals, the San Diego Padres. By the second half of the sixth inning, the game was already out of hand. The defending champion trailed 9-0, a deep hole against a strong opponent. And then, Roberts made the call to bring in utility man Enrique Hernández to pitch. Hernández trotted to the mound, wearing a protective helmet over his cap. He lobbed 36 pitches over 2.1 innings, none of which had a velocity higher than 57 mph, ultimately ending in an 11-1 rout.After the game, Roberts didn’t hide his discomfort with the decision, especially given the backlash it received. When asked if using a position player so early felt awkward, his response was blunt. “It’s very awkward. Very awkward. Um, it doesn’t feel good,” Roberts admitted. But he also explained that the difficult choice was a necessary evil. The move was designed to preserve his exhausted bullpen for the rest of the crucial series. It was a tactical retreat to fight another day, even if it meant a lopsided loss.The decision not to use reliever Michael Kopech was a key part of that strategy. Roberts made it clear he wasn’t going to burn a valuable arm in a losing effort. “A guy that was available tonight in Kopech, I’m not going to pitch him down 6 or 7 in the sixth inning,” he stated. Using Kopech would have made him unavailable for the next day’s game. This choice underscores the manager’s focus on winning the series, not just one lopsided contest.Moreover, Roberts also elaborated on the strategic thinking behind the move. He stressed the importance of looking at the bigger picture. “You’ve got to make a point and again, it’s about: Do you wanna chase and is it worth it versus to win tomorrow,” he said. Before Hernández entered, pitcher Matt Sauer gave a stellar performance, throwing a career-high 111 pitches, absorbing nine runs.Roberts’ cautious approach didn’t happen in a vacuum; it was shaped by the Dodgers’ current reality. The team’s pitching staff has been pushed to its limits, with injuries piling up and options running thinDodgers’ pitching epidemicThe Dodgers are in the midst of an “unprecedented injury crisis.” Fourteen pitchers are on the injured list. That group includes some big names like Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Tony Gonsolin. The situation has decimated what was once a fearsome pitching staff (Earned Run Average (ERA) ranges from 4.12 to 4.21, ranking them 21st- 23rd overall in MLB). The flood of players on injured reserve has put the team in this position. The team’s depth is being stretched to the most extreme way imaginable.The bullpen is feeling the strain just as much as the starting rotation. Key relievers like Evan Phillips and Blake Treinen are out long-term with injuries. The Dodgers used four of their best relievers and essentially emptied the cupboard bare for Tuesday’s matchup. It was a perfect storm of overuse and injury.Despite the loss, the Dodgers still have a 40-28 record, tops in the NL West. Their offense is a powerhouse, tops in MLB with a .265 batting average. But their pitching has been a disaster, a team ERA of 4.19, ranking 23rd in baseball. In contrast, the Padres are right behind them in the standings. They have a top-six pitching staff with a 3.42 ERA. This disparity in pitching explains why Roberts felt the need to preserve his arms.The post “Doesn’t Feel Good” – Dodgers Manager Sounds Off After Enrique Hernandez’s Surprise Outing Ends in Alarming Defeat vs Padres appeared first on EssentiallySports.