TAMPA -- Adjusting to the quirks of ballparks around the league is just part of the game. But the pair of long balls Blake Snell surrendered in his return from the 60-day injured list were somewhat of a George M. Steinbrenner Field special.
Snell made his first start since April 2 on Saturday afternoon and looked sharp aside from giving up two home runs to former teammate Yandy Díaz. The Dodgers' left-hander allowed three runs on five hits across five innings, striking out eight without walking a batter in his 86-pitch outing (57 strikes).
Although Snell put his team in a good position, the Dodgers' bats could not back him as they were shut out, 4-0, by the Rays, setting up a rubber game in Sunday's finale.
"I thought, to be quite frank, he was a victim of this ballpark," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "There were a couple fly balls to right field that just went out. It’s the same field for both teams. But I still felt he made pitches that he needed to make, but unfortunately got a little bit of bad luck."
Díaz welcomed Snell from the IL with a leadoff homer in the first inning, then added on a two-run shot in the third. The first traveled a Statcast-projected 326 feet and the second went 341 feet. The former would only have been a homer at the Rays' temporary home, while the latter would also have left the park at Yankee Stadium and Daikin Park.
"I think they're only going to be homers here. Maybe at Yankee Stadium," right fielder Teoscar Hernández said. "One was 92 [mph exit velocity], another one was 93. Good for him. They're playing here, they take advantage of the field."
Snell got one more crack at Díaz, giving up a base hit with two outs in the fifth. But the Dodgers' lefty got Ha-Seong Kim to fly out to end his outing.
The hard contact Snell allowed was minimal, and he generated 19 swing-and-misses. He was pleased with his changeup and slider, though his curveball and fastball weren't quite where he wanted them yet.
"I liked that I was in the zone more than I thought I would’ve been," Snell said. "You’re just trying to feel it out again, so I like that. … It was a good start. The worst part was that we lost. I go out there to win. So gotta get better and find a way to win."
Snell was also encouraged that he was able to feel good despite the conditions. It was 91 degrees at first pitch, with a heat index of 107.
"It's tough," Snell said. "Because going out there and pitching, your hands are softer. There’s sweat all over. It makes it a little more difficult and challenging."
The Dodgers, by their own admission, have yet to play their best baseball. Their pitching staff has been hit hard by injuries, and their position players have been inconsistent. They nevertheless entered Saturday with the third-best record in the National League, three games ahead of the Padres for first place in the division.
They did so while only getting two starts from Snell before his four-month absence due to left shoulder inflammation.
It took until the second day of August, but the Dodgers' rotation at last resembles the group they envisioned having heading into this season. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has anchored the group since Opening Day, joined by Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani and now Snell.
After Thursday's trade that sent Dustin May to the Red Sox, Emmet Sheehan figures to round out the rotation as the sixth starter -- although he could have some long relief outings mixed in -- at least until Roki Sasaki returns from the IL sometime around the end of August.
A full-strength rotation doesn't fix everything, as was apparent on Saturday. The offense -- which managed only six hits and squandered a bases-loaded opportunity in the sixth -- needs to do its part as well.
But having a rotation that sets the tone can go a long way as the Dodgers look to peak at the right time.
"I still believe you win with pitching and defense and timely hitting," Roberts said. "And to have guys that you expect to take down most of the outs in a game, having them healthy is everything. Last year we found a way to do it, not having that. But having the starters healthy, pitching the way they're capable of, makes it a better quality of life for everyone.”