Dodgers News: Lance Lynn Talks About His Ugly Home Run Problem
Veteran starting pitcher Lance Lynn was brought in by the Dodgers to help stabilize the starting rotation after a frustrating first few months of the season. Over his first few starts with the Dodgers, he looked the part, but he has seemed to fall back into his own early-season struggles.
Lynn held one of the highest ERAs in baseball during his time with the Chicago White Sox. He also has seen a big home run problem this season as well.
Over his last two games, Lynn has allowed 15 runs and eight home runs. It has gone from a semi-poor outing against the Boston Red Sox to full-blown disasters against the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins.
In his seven starts with the Dodgers, Lynn has an ERA of 4.95 and a WHIP of 1.30. He has allowed a total of 22 runs over that time frame.
Lynn spoke on the home run issue after the game Wednesday, and he was frustrated with his performance.
“I mean, once you go over 30, who gives a (expletive)?” said Lynn, who had given up more than 20 home runs in a season just twice in his first 11 major-league seasons, topping out at 27 with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017. “You’re just trying to make pitches. It’s just kind of one of those years where they come in bunches. It’s been the worst of my career, home run-wise. Bad pitch selection, bad execution. Everything that could go bad has gone bad when they’ve had the opportunity.”
The Dodgers are going to need Lynn to right the ship down the stretch of the season. They hold a sizeable lead in the NL West division, so these struggles aren’t really hurting them right now. But if they show up in the postseason, that’s when it will be an issue.
It’s been an up-and-down year for Lynn, but that is who he has been as a pitcher over his career. He has really high, highs and really low, lows. The Dodgers knew this when they traded for him and have been banking on more of the solid performances.
“It’s just one of those years,” Lynn said. “There’s gonna be those things. I’ve had years where I don’t give up any and I’ve been way worse of a pitcher. That’s the crazy part about this game. This is what baseball is now and this is what people want. You just got to learn to adapt.”
With the playoffs just a few weeks away, the hope is that Lynn gets his issues out now and returns to form. They are going to need him in the postseason, especially with everything that is going on with their rotation right now.
He brings playoff experience to the table, so, hopefully, he can settle down when it really matters. Lynn will be a big x-factor in determining how the rest of the season goes for Los Angeles.
