Dodgers News: Alex Wood Picks Up First Loss Of The Season

Alex Wood was always known for having electric stuff, but injuries in a Dodger uniform seemed to always be holding him back. That all changed this season when the 2017 All-Star became the first Dodger pitcher in modern history to begin a season with a record of 11-0. Unfortunately, Friday evening was a reminder that Wood is, in fact, still human.

Dave Roberts was forced to pull Alex Wood out of the game after less than 5 innings after making 100 pitches and giving up an unusual 9 runs, though only 7 were earned.

Alex Wood: 100 pitches/64 strikes. 4.2 IP, 9 H, 9 R (7 ER), 4 BB, 4 K, 2 HR. First loss of the season for the lefty. What a run it has been

— AlaNNa Rizzo (@alannarizzo) July 22, 2017

Besides Alex Wood dropping a very playable pop fly, the most upsetting play to come out of Friday’s game had to be opposing pitcher Jaime Garcia’s grand slam. Yes, you read that correctly. The starting pitcher of the Braves, who many thought was headed to the Twins in a trade, hit a grand slam off of Alex Wood.

With all of that said, there is no need to start doubting Alex Wood. Before Friday’s abnormal performance, Wood had not given up more than 1 run in his previous 5 starts. In his first 2 starts in July, Alex Wood gave up 0 runs and struck out 14 batters in 13 innings pitched.

So what does this say? Nothing, really. Alex Wood was not going to win every game this season, even if it seemed like he would. Looking at the bigger picture, these back-to-back losses from the Dodgers shouldn’t stress you out too much either, especially since Los Angeles still has the best record in baseball. It’s a long season filled with ups and downs, so buckle up and enjoy the ride!