It seems like the Dodgers are up against all the underdog stories this year. After a powerhouse start and being hailed as the team to beat, especially with names like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman anchoring the lineup, the Dodgers are showing some cracks. Losses like the recent one to the Rangers (4–3) highlight that even the most stacked rosters can hit turbulence. So yes, the aura of invincibility around the Dodgers is fading a bit, and it’s not something their manager, Dave Roberts, would have expected.

Remember the time when the Dodgers were projected to be the best team in the entire league this year and have the most wins this season? Well, the real world hits differently. Today’s game witnessed a tight, low-scoring affair between two heavyweights. At the end, it came down to a battle of bullpens, and Adolis Garcia delivered the knockout blow. The walk-off homer off Kirby Yates in the 9th flipped what looked like a hard-earned Dodgers win into a gut-punch 4–3 loss.

Kirby Yates, the veteran pitcher, is now on the receiving end for allowing the knockout homer that ended the Dodgers’ run against the Rangers. If not only for his poor pitching, Yates is also facing the fans’ wrath for putting Roki Sasaki, Freddie Freeman, and Max Muncy’s efforts in vain!

In the game, Sasaki showed some electric stuff that made him such a hyped signing. His two-run start seemed to be difficult for the bullpen to hold on to. With the team up by 3–2 heading into the 9th, Yates couldn’t close the door. However, that’s baseball. You can dominate for 8 innings, but if the pen can’t lock it down, it’s all undone. Ahh, the Dodgers’ bullpen without Blake Treinen is looking vulnerable! Remember how Treinen was closing the game by the 8th or 9th inning?

The walk-off homer given up by Yates wasn’t just a bad outing — it was also a reminder of how important Treinen has been as the Dodgers’ bullpen anchor. This game proved how the Dodgers will be haunted again by Trienen’s injury, going deep into the season. The fans are also concerned about the same. Going by Yates’ poor show today, they are skeptical of showing any mercy to the veteran.

Fans are left unimpressed with the veteran Dodgers pitcher

This game might feel like a one-off incident or upset, but the fans are already rallying for a new reliable arm in the bullpen. Taking to social media, they are sharing their frustration about how it was a pain to watch Kirby Yates.

One fan has a direct view of Kirby Yates’ outing today. “Too bad Yates could not keep his pitches down in the strike zone.” Yes, that’s the core issue — Kirby Yates just couldn’t find the zone when it mattered most. So, when you’re not in the zone, especially against a team like the Rangers with big bats, you’re playing with fire. This helped Garcia to lock in and take full advantage of a mistake pitch that leaked over the plate. The 2019 season was a testament to Yates’ dominance on the mound, particularly his effective use of the splitter, which is still missing among the crowd of fastballs.

“Why is Will Smith asking Kirby to throw fastballs when he could’ve used his splitter?” The same emotion is shared by another user. For those unaware, Yates’ split-finger fastball is what made him dominant. In 2019, opponents hit just .123 against his splitter, and it had a whiff rate over 50% — that’s elite. So yes, when Yates is effective, it’s usually because he’s locating his fastball with that deadly splitter. However, when he can’t command it, like in the game against the Rangers, it becomes a whole different story. So, the fans are left wondering why the Dodgers catcher was repeatedly asking Yates for fastballs!

Is it time to move over Kirby Yates, especially when the team got Tanner Scott? “Why Kirby Yates and not Tanner Scott?” Fans are wondering what the Dodgers are planning with Scott. In today’s game against the Rangers, the Dodgers were without Tanner Scott, who had pitched 3 of the previous 5 days. Now that he was “down” for the game, that left Kirby Yates as the next man up. The high-velocity lefty with strikeout stuff is what makes Scott a better option over Yates, but what about the workload management?

A brief yet far-fetched word by one enthusiast. Well, if Yates continues struggling in high-leverage roles, the Dodgers should strongly consider trading or at least reshuffling his role, especially if they eye a reliever at the deadline. However, what if he settles back in and finds his splitter groove again? Who can be the option for Yates? Free agency can be an option. Offloading Yates could clear payroll for a younger, more reliable late-inning arm at the trade deadline. Landon Knack? Will the starter from the minors work?

“I do not understand why a billion-dollar payroll cannot score more runs.” That’s something the fans think every time the Dodgers get down. What happened to the $354 million payroll and the star-studded lineup? Such a high payroll might buy you stars, but it can’t guarantee rings in baseball. Remember when Yates was signed by the Dodgers? Calls were up against the team for poaching all the cream names from the roster. Nothing reflected on the field.

The Dodgers are now like a Ferrari, which costs huge, but you still gotta drive it well, maintain it, and pray it doesn’t blow a tire in October. What do you think is going wrong for the Dodgers?