Lovullo is ‘concerned’ about Holland’s struggles as closer
LOS ANGELES — The bullpen door swung open and Greg Holland emerged. True to his word, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo did not shy away from going back to his closer one night after watching him cough up a one-run lead at Dodger Stadium in epic fashion.
Lovullo didn’t sound as confident he would be going to him again after what happened Wednesday night.
For the second time in as many nights, Holland blew a save to the Dodgers. Unlike Tuesday, when he issued four consecutive walks to force home a run, he gave up the lead on Wednesday on a pair of hits, a double by Enrique Hernandez and a single by Matt Beaty. It took all of four pitches for the Dodgers to tie the game.
An inning later, the game was over, Cody Bellinger’s walk-off home run off Yoan Lopez having given the Dodgers another 5-4 win and a two-game series sweep over the Diamondbacks, who lost in this ballpark for the eighth time in nine games dating to last season.
It was a crushing defeat in a multitude of ways, perhaps none more so than what it means for the closer’s job. While a number of roles have been in flux in the Diamondbacks’ bullpen at various points in the season’s first three months, the ninth inning has not been one of them.
Two weeks ago, Holland had converted 10 of 11 save opportunities. Coming off a turbulent 2018 season, he looked like he had reinvented himself, finding success without the electric stuff he had earlier in his career. His signing had looked like a smart, savvy gamble by the club’s front office.
All of those things might still be true, but he also has struggled so badly over the past two weeks that Lovullo — who was adamant in his defense of him Tuesday night — was hesitant to deliver a vote of confidence when asked if Holland were still his closer.
“I’m in an emotional state right now,” Lovullo said. “I want to probably think through it with a clear head. I am concerned. I have to pay attention to things like that.”
One night earlier, Holland missed the strike zone on 16 of the final 20 pitches he threw. He had two outs, the bases empty and an 0-2 count before his outing went off the rails.
He lost in perhaps a more dignified fashion Wednesday, and he seemed more able to process — and stomach — what went wrong.
“This loss falls on me,” he said. “So did last night. Sometimes you just get beat. I feel like that’s what happened tonight.”
His outings have become shakier over the past two weeks. He blew his second save of the year on June 20, an outing Lovullo blamed on himself because Holland hadn’t pitched in eight days.
A week later, he entered against the Giants with a four-run lead and two runners on and served up a three-run homer to Stephen Vogt, though Holland proceeded to lock down the save. Then came this week against the Dodgers, who have scored three runs off him on two hits and four walks in the span of two nights.
“I know he’s grinding,” Lovullo said. “I know he wants to get things done and do them the right way and continue on his journey and close games the way he has. That’s what I can summarize right now. That’s what I can give you right now. I’m going to probably think through it over the course of the next 24 hours, meet with the staff and have some thoughts about it.”
Lovullo would seem to have two logical options in Lopez and Yoshihisa Hirano.
Though he made a mistake with a fastball in the 10th inning that Bellinger destroyed for his second home run of the night, Lopez, a rookie, has been the club’s best and most reliable reliever this season.