Whicker: The inevitable keeps getting delayed for the Dodgers

It was expected to beryllium implicit erstwhile Corey Seager came backmost to work. Or erstwhile Kenley Jansen survived 1 rocky week. Or erstwhile Cody Bellinger’s muscles began to retrieve again.

It was expected to beryllium implicit erstwhile San Diego’s Fernando Tatis got hurt, congealing each that blistery lava from down south. Or erstwhile Mookie Betts overcame his atrocious hip. Or, finally, erstwhile the Dodgers someway pried escaped Trea Turner from Washington arsenic the mega-number, to travel westbound with Max Scherzer.

It volition beryllium over, successful 28 games, and the Dodgers and their fans support looking astatine the all-star lineup card, and support totaling up the postseason acquisition and the assembled Hall of Fame candidates and the specified rightness of it all, and they can’t rather envision a satellite successful which they’re playing a win-or-go-home wild-card game, adjacent if it really would beryllium astatine home.

And they whitethorn good beryllium right.

But this vessel is similar the ones that presently beryllium conscionable disconnected the Long Beach port. It’s taking a agelong clip to travel in.

The Dodgers mislaid to San Francisco Sunday, 6-4, contempt Albert Pujols’ 2-run pinch homer successful the ninth. They are, again, 1 crippled down successful the N.L. West. Walker Buehler gave up a first-inning location tally to Brandon Belt, the archetypal blast that anyone connected the existent Giant roster ever has managed disconnected Buehler, but adjacent the aboriginal outs were stingers, and helium lasted lone 3 innings.

“When you leap connected a pitcher similar that, it’s the clip that you spot that hitting truly is contagious,” Belt said.

This conscionable added to Dodger instrumentality discontent, on with the “city connect” all-blue uniforms that marque the players look similar Mr. Goodwrench technicians (“Your hoses are okay, but you mightiness privation to fto america look astatine those brakes”).

The Giants were playing a “bullpen game” for the 2nd consecutive day. Chris Taylor was the Dodgers’ seventh hitter and recovered himself facing Zack Littell, the Giants’ 3rd pitcher. Littell chugged done a second-and-third, no-out concern and gave up nothing, which held the L.A. rally to 1 run.

Seven consecutive Dodgers were retired by Luis Quintana, a feat that Angel fans volition not judge was possible. When the timepiece ran retired connected Quintana, Giants skipper Gabe Kapler turned to Camilo Doval, who has a Category 4 limb but whose landfall could hap anywhere.

“He needed to support his composure aft his warmup,” Kapler said. “He came retired a small hot. Then his archetypal transportation went to the backstop.”

The bases were loaded with 2 retired and remained truthful aft Doval walked Will Smith, cutting San Francisco’s pb to 6-2 successful the fourth. But Doval struck retired Taylor to extremity that.

The Giants rubbed it successful aft that with a mates of bunt singles, and made the Dodgers usage 4 relievers, oregon astatine slightest 2 much than Dave Roberts desired.

After the game, the Giants and Dodgers began a wholly unnecessary scramble. Both hurried to airports and flew eastbound for Monday day games — the Giants to Colorado, the Dodgers to St. Louis, wherever they volition walk 4 games against a squad accustomed to making September runs and beating the Dodgers successful Busch Stadium.

Scherzer pitches Monday but astatine slightest the adjacent 2 games volition beryllium handled by TBA, which besides stands for Tired Bullpen Arms.

There is nary crushed that teams subjected to ESPN Sunday Night Baseball should person to alert anyplace the adjacent day. Those bid tin beryllium extended to Monday, oregon the visiting squad tin beryllium fixed an disconnected day.

“A batch of radical privation to spot our nine play,” Roberts said, but helium doesn’t truly similar it either.

“We’ve got a period left,” Buehler said, and, indeed, it’s astonishing however galore radical hide the enormity of 162 games. The Dodgers play 19 of the last 28 against teams that person tangible motivation.

The last week happens astatine Dodger Stadium against San Diego and Milwaukee, which has 1 of the fewer rotations comparable to L.A.’s.

The losses weren’t the worst happening that happened to the Dodgers. Losing A.J. Pollock to a hamstring wounded was. He was perchance the astir dependable Dodger since the midpoint of the season. They volition beryllium fortunate if helium returns by October.

The Giants besides clinched the play series, which means they would play big to Game No. 163 to determine the part champ, if a necktie needs breaking.

“I can’t ideate however aggravated the ambiance volition beryllium if we play them present successful the postseason,” Belt said.

He hadn’t heard that it’s expected to beryllium implicit by then.