Turns out, if there were a mercy rule in MLB for ending games early, the Los Angeles Dodgers wouldn’t hesitate to use one on Tuesday Night. Lately, the team has sacrificed plenty of games just to shield their injury-prone pitchers. However, it went a little overboard when they went up against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. For the record, the Dodgers fell brutally short, 11-1 against the Padres this time. As the game slipped away, manager Dave Roberts made a decision that no one saw coming, and let’s just say the crowd was stunned.

Early in the game, they had already made a decision that crossed a line. It was not their first time, but definitely the earliest. It was surprising that they made minor league call-up Matt Sauer go all in, as he ended up throwing 111 pitches while giving up 13 hits and 9 runs. But that wasn’t enough for the Dodgers. Next thing you know, they let the one take over the mound who shouldn’t have been in the first place.

Enrique Hernández, the Dodgers’ position player, was sent to the mound in the face of a nine-run deficit during the sixth inning. Yes, exactly—in the sixth, not in the ninth, and not when all their key pitchers were exhausted. He pitched for the rest of the game. For the record, it was the earliest a position player had ever taken the mound in a game in Dodgers history.

So, naturally, MLB fans saw this act as nothing more than giving up. All in all, it seemed like the Dodgers were giving up when four innings were remaining. And just like that, the Dodgers and manager Roberts were slammed for not respecting the league’s competitive spirit.

Roberts even admitted that the game was “very awkward.” Don’t get it wrong, position players can pitch for the team when things go downhill. However, it’s worth noting that this idea is typically reserved for late innings. But in Hernández’s case, he was sent long before the seventh-inning stretch.

As for the Dodgers’ reasoning, they are currently operating with only four healthy starting pitchers. Their bullpen is already overburdened and leads the majors in innings pitched. The game was long lost when Hernández stepped onto the mound during the sixth. Apparently, the Padres already went after Sauer hard in the third inning.

They also added one run each in the fourth and fifth. And guess what? After Hernández entered in the sixth, they scored four more runs. Eventually, they handed the Dodgers a brutal 11-1 loss. However, it wasn’t the loss that made MLB fans slam the World Series champions and their manager. It was all about how they led Hernández to pitch in the sixth inning.

MLB fans went furious, accusing Dodgers of ‘ruining the game’

The Dodgers’ move to send Hernández in the sixth inning ignited immediate and intense backlash all over social media. It was all about giving up too early, misusing league rules, MLB favoring the Dodgers, and whatnot. Moreover, it triggered fans’ deeper frustration with the Dodgers as a whole and how Roberts managed his team.

Well, beyond this one decision, the Dodgers were slammed straight away for everything: “The Dodgers are bad for baseball in every aspect of the game.” No doubt, they’ve been the World Series champions, and they have a star-studded team with phenoms like Shohei Ohtani. However, the team is often criticized because their star players were already established elsewhere, and the Dodgers simply brought them in. You see, most teams build around their homegrown talent, and maybe at times, add a few players from the outside. Well, in all honesty, the Dodgers have the talent, but some deeper cracks are impossible to ignore for MLB fans.

Another one pointed out the ironic thing about Tuesday’s matchup. “Insane that a team that appeared to have nearly unlimited pitching depth is doing this in early June.” You already know that Roberts goes to lengths to build pitching depth. Yet, in early June, the team had to send their position players.

Though position players can pitch freely, they are preferred only in extra innings. “I thought the rules stated it had to be the 8th or later? But it’s the Dodgers and the MLB probably encourages them to cheat.” That rule suggests that a position player is allowed to pitch when the team is losing by eight or more runs at any given point during the game. Or if the team is winning by ten or more runs, but only in the ninth inning. Now, when it comes to extra innings, the player can take over regardless of the score.

Drawing comparisons to the Savannah Bananas never gets old. But it’s not flattering either. “You all need to look at this rule again. Is Kiké pitching 1/3 of this game? It’s the Major Leagues, not the Savannah Bananas.” Hernández pitched for almost one-third of the game. It’s absurd, truly. And if you’re foreign to the Savannah Bananas and their showmanship, you should know that they prioritize entertainment and fun over actual baseball rules.

Of course, how can the MLB nation spare the manager of the team that is under fire? “Dave could give zero f***s about this game 😭😭.” Apparently, Roberts’ managerial efficiency also came under scrutiny. The World Series champions are currently facing full backlash for their moves. What do you think— did the Dodgers go against the rules?