Dodgers: Trevor Bauer shut down by Dave Roberts while begging to stay in

The 2021 Los Angeles Dodgers have gone from 13-2 to 18-17 in the blink of an eye.

Luckily, one of their highly-paid starters is an expert at blinking one eye.

Trevor Bauer started Sunday’s swing game in the Freeway Series with a golden opportunity to deliver a feel-good victory for the Dodgers, one day after a bizarre game when a 13-0 lead nearly became a devastating loss, thanks in large part to Mitch White and the bullpen.

Bauer set out to render the bullpen entirely unnecessary on Sunday, but his offense didn’t exactly play along — and neither did his manager.

The righty threw a stressful 113 pitches in six innings, struggling mightily in the third with a 1-0 lead on the Angels and Jose Quintana, and leaving that inning with the score that would eventually become final, 2-1.

Desperate for a continued shot at redemption, Bauer was spotted begging his manager Dave Roberts for a shot at the seventh inning, which he would’ve entered with a pitch count indicating too much duress for another frame of work.

Roberts stonewalled him.

Dodgers righty Trevor Bauer was spotted begging Dave Roberts to pitch more.

After a leadoff single was erased by a caught stealing in Sunday’s third inning, Bauer had a clean slate to work with. Regrettably, he unraveled, allowing an infield single to the pesky David Fletcher, walking Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, then surrendering a ground-rule, two-run double to Jared Walsh.

He hung on for dear life throughout the next three innings — and, according to Roberts, was feeling under the weather — but his offense was unable to rally.

Bauer’s solid start should not have been the story Sunday, with the floundering bats far more responsible for the Dodgers’ defeat.

In the aftermath of the contest, though, Bauer took to the podium and angrily decried the team’s current losing jag.

We’d all like to be winning more, but Bauer foolishly toeing the rubber (while sick) in the seventh with 113 pitches already under his belt likely would’ve been unwise.

Roberts made the correct call in ignoring his co-ace’s cries, but handing the ball to the ‘pen in a timely fashion still didn’t manage to tip the scales in favor of the Dodgers.

In short, we understand why the $38 million man ignored his long-term outlook temporarily and fumed about being taken out, but it wouldn’t have changed anything. Bauer wasn’t the problem here on Sunday, even though he made himself the center of attention.

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