Dongs ruin Landon Knack, bats can’t do it with RISP

Returning home for nine games, a series against the Athletics seemed like an opportunity for the Dodgers to extend their NL West lead. Instead, it was the A’s who took the game to the Dodgers early and the lineup couldn’t claw back due to struggles with RISP in a 11-1 loss.

======

Given the amount of injuries to the pitching staff, Landon Knack suddenly becomes an important cog in the machine, and he started off well today. After a seeing-eye single to start the 1st, he then struck out the side to move things along.

After a lead-off seeing-eye single, Landon Knack strikes out the side. pic.twitter.com/sUUf4pqQ72

— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 14, 2025

Knack continued to miss bats throughout the outing, but he ran into a problem named Jacob Wilson, not once but twice.

J WILLY ROCKET🚀 pic.twitter.com/C6teVYPHBG

— Athletics (@Athletics) May 14, 2025

Jacob Wilson’s first career two-homer game 🫨 pic.twitter.com/px9DrgkEdL

— Athletics (@Athletics) May 14, 2025

That’s two two-run homers off Knack, one coming in the 3rd and one coming in the 5th. Apart from that, he didn’t face a RISP the whole game, though he was removed after a two-out single in the 5th.

In a way it was a promising outing, though obviously the homers can’t continue: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 94 Pitches.

Knack had five runs charged to him because Luis Garcia entered and gave up a single to put a pair on, and then gave up a double to Lawrence Butler to score both runners and make it 6-1 Athletics before getting out of the frame.

Law keepin’ it rollin’ pic.twitter.com/eXct8YAgYJ

— Athletics (@Athletics) May 14, 2025

Oh right, the run for the Dodgers.

Well, against Jeffrey Springs, the Dodgers stranded a man on second with one out in the 1st, a man on second with two outs in the 2nd, first and second with one out in the 3rd, a man on second with two outs in the 4th, for a tidy 0-for-7 with RISP.

They did get a run before missing the massive chance in the 3rd, as a Chris Taylor lead-off double was advanced to third and then scored on an error on a ball Mookie Betts hit, but that was it.

——

Things didn’t really get better for the Dodgers either, as after Anthony Banda worked around a hit batter and single in the 6th, J.P. Feyereisen entered for the 7th. It seemed like he got bailed out after a one-out single was erased by a Will Smith throw, but he then gave up a double and back-to-back singles for two more runs to make it 8-1 Athletics.

More runs? Say less pic.twitter.com/6BQfcTaSWc

— Athletics (@Athletics) May 14, 2025

He continued in the 8th, giving up a lead-off homer to Nick Kurtz to make it 9-1. He barely got out of more mess after an error and a one-out single followed.

NICK KURTZ FIRST CAREER HR!!! pic.twitter.com/0n9p3QCXuw

— Athletics (@Athletics) May 14, 2025

Miguel Rojas then took to the mound in the 9th and gave up a pair of homers to make it 11-1.

Miggy wanted to join in on all the fun 🤫 pic.twitter.com/Yz0hdc9O3g

— Athletics (@Athletics) May 14, 2025

back -✌️- back !!! pic.twitter.com/JtAV7wKb8L

— Athletics (@Athletics) May 14, 2025

Offensively it was arguably worse, as after a quiet 5th, they stranded a lead-off single and walk in the 6th and a lead-off double in the 7th. They got just a single in the 8th and the 9th.

——

Conforto … three-hit game.