Lance Lynn wins Dodgers debut despite home runs, beats A's

Lance Lynn wins Dodgers debut by giving them what they need to beat A’s

Dodgers pitcher Lance Lynn throws to the plate.

Staff Writer

Aug. 1, 2023 Updated 11:35 PM PT

Lance Lynn didn’t solve his home run problems during his Dodgers debut.

But, the right-handed trade acquisition did alleviate one of the team’s biggest issues in recent weeks, pitching seven innings in his first start with the club to help the Dodgers to a 7-3 win over the Oakland Athletics.

No one will confuse the last-place A’s with the 1927 Yankees. Entering Tuesday, their rebuilding lineup had 20 fewer runs than any other club in the majors. Their plight was so bad — thanks in large part to a lack of investment from relocation-minded owner John Fisher — that at one point “Sell the team!” chants broke out around Dodger Stadium.

Still, getting seven decent, albeit home-run-plagued, innings out of Lynn represented success for the Dodgers (60-45), particularly after they failed to land any other notable rotation upgrades prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline.

“It’s what we needed,” manager Dave Roberts said. “The change of scenery, I think, served him well. I saw a little bit of, I don’t know if it was eagerness, emotions, maybe a little bit of nerves. I didn’t talk to him about it. But I like that. I think that’s a good thing. Because he’s in a new environment, in a pennant race, and I know that’s something he’s excited about.”

Acquired from the Chicago White Sox last week alongside reliever Joe Kelly, Lynn began his start Tuesday dominantly. He struck out his first batter. He retired the first seven he faced. And through five innings, he kept the A’s off the scoreboard, protecting an early 4-0 lead (three of the runs scored on a bases-loaded double from Kiké Hernández, another recent trade acquisition, in the fourth).

In the top of the sixth, Lynn threw an elevated fastball that A’s rookie Zack Gelof — the brother of Dodgers recent second-round draft pick Jake Gelof — hammered into the left field seats.

An inning later, Lynn served up two more long balls, leaving a first-pitch cutter belt-high to Brent Rooker, before throwing a center-cut 2-and-1 fastball to Jordan Diaz.

“I made a couple mistakes on some pitches that I’d like back,” Lynn said. “But we won so that’s all that matters.”

Indeed, Lynn not only escaped the seventh inning with the lead intact, but also completed the longest start by a Dodgers pitcher since Clayton Kershaw went seven innings against the Angels on June 20 — a whole 32 games ago.

“I think that he’s just been battle-tested,” Roberts said, acknowledging that it was easier for him to give a veteran like Lynn a longer leash in Tuesday’s start. “I think at times I’m a little bit more cautious and guilty of not trying to put young starters [in bad spots], … But with a veteran guy, I just feel like that’s sort of their responsibility, to take that on. I felt good about him getting to the seventh.”

Prior to Tuesday, the Dodgers’ already inconsistent rotation took a nosedive.

Kershaw went down with a shoulder injury in late June. Julio Urías and Tony Gonsolin have not been in top form during recent weeks. And with three rookies starting regularly in July, the team posted its worst single-month starting pitcher ERA (6.18) in the franchise’s Los Angeles history, slipping to 25th in the majors in rotation ERA on the season (4.76).

Given the team’s inability to add any more starting pitching help at the deadline, Lynn is suddenly a key cog in the Dodgers’ contention plans, a veteran who will be asked to steady the back half of the rotation and, in the event of any more injury troubles, potentially even start playoff games.

To fulfill those hopes, much work remains to be done for Lynn, who entered Tuesday with the highest ERA (6.47) and most home runs allowed (28) among MLB starters.

“There’s conversations that are going to continue to evolve and going to be free-flowing,” Roberts said. “We’ve got to learn him just as much as he’s going to learn us. But I think the thing with Lance is, he’s open to getting better.”

And to that end, Tuesday marked an encouraging start — even as Lynn continued to struggle to limit home runs.