Dave Roberts chooses to prevent his team from a 4-game sweep of the rival Giants with baffling Blake Treinen choice – Dodgers Digest

What a stupid fucking game.

A message to the fans from Clayton. ? pic.twitter.com/x17lKZi9sD

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 21, 2025

======

As mentioned this was a pitchers’ duel, but a frustrating one for the Dodgers as they were being shut down by Trevor McDonald, a guy who I had legit never heard of before today.

Well, I know him now, as he allowed just a two-out single in the 1st and 4th, and they got their first runner in scoring position in the 5th with a two-out double. Nothing came of any of those chances, but the 6th started with a lead-off single from Shohei Ohtani, which sparked hope that was quickly erased by a double play in another zero.

Finally, the lineup put together something real against McDonald in the 7th, as Max Muncy started things with a walk, Andy Pages singled the other way, and Michael Conforto came up and continued to kill his old team with a single to left that scored Muncy to make it 1-0.

Michael breaks the tie! pic.twitter.com/4E3jbUbdUC

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 21, 2025

Miguel Rojas then came up and laid down a nice sac bunt to put a pair in scoring position, but pinch-hitter Tommy Edman lined a 3-2 pitch to first base, which was caught and Pages was doubled off third for an inning-ending double play. Brutal.

That would unfortunately become relevant immediately.

——

The story was really the continued emergence of Emmet Sheehan, who was absolutely dominant on the mound.

He gave up a one-out single in the 1st and hit the lead-off batter in both in the 2nd and 3rd … and that was it. Sheehan finished by retiring 15 straight batters in a shutout performance that was controversially cut short: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K, 84 Pitches.

The Emmet Sheehan gem they wasted. pic.twitter.com/zEmGnwFpnB

— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 21, 2025

For whatever reason, they took Sheehan out and put Blake Treinen of all people in. He has looked absolutely atrocious this month and it wasn’t hard to first guess this one. Here’s how the outing went:

They took out Sheehan … why.

— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) September 21, 2025 at 11:54 AM

Intentionally walking the bases loaded with a pitcher who has control issue is just insane. Just put Vesia in.

— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) September 21, 2025 at 12:07 PM

This is on Dave. Just volunteering a loss to presumably get a read on Treinen or something.

— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) September 21, 2025 at 12:09 PM

Among Dodgers relievers with 10 innings this year, Treinen now has a team-worst 5.04 FIP.

[image or embed]

— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) September 21, 2025 at 12:16 PM

Treinen went infield single, single, double to tie the game, flyout, intentional walk (?!), walk to force in the go-ahead run, and groundout to score an insurance run and make it 3-1 Giants.

LITERALLY THE WORST RELIEVER ON THE TEAM WAS LEFT IN THROUGHOUT ALL THAT IN A ONE-RUN GAME

Alex Vesia then came in and threw two pitches to get the final out of the 8th. Will Klein finished things off in the 9th, giving up a double but nothing else.

——

Meanwhile, the bats got just a single in the 8th.

======

The Dodgers now finish with a six-game road trip, starting with three against the Diamondbacks. It’ll be on SNLA at 3:40 PM HT/6:40 PM PT/9:40 PM ET with Shohei Ohtani on the bump against Brandon Pfaadt.