The Los Angeles Dodgers named Ryan Pepiot the fifth starter to begin the 2023 season but his disastrous spring finale had fans not feeling great.
It became clear as the end of spring training neared that the Los Angeles Dodgers would need to determine a fifth starter as Tony Gonsolin was headed to the IL to start the season. That battle came down to two of the organization’s better pitching prospects, Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove.
Entering the final weekend of the spring, though, manager Dave Roberts named Pepiot the fifth starter.
Because of that, all eyes were on the 25-year-old No. 6 prospect in the Dodgers system on Tuesday night as he got the start for the spring training finale. And all eyes saw him get absolutely rocked by the Los Angeles Angels.
Lasting just 3.2 innings in the start, Pepiot got shelled as he gave up five earned runs on six hits and four walks. Four of those six hits were for extra bases as Anthony Rendon hit an RBI double in the first, Brandon Drury followed with an RBI double of his own in the second, and then Hunter Renfroe and Luis Renigfo each homered in the third inning.
Not exactly the optimistic start that the Dodgers faithful were hoping for.
Dodgers fans cook Ryan Pepiot after awful final start in spring training
It wasn’t just not what they were hoping for, though. Dodgers fans were all over social media cooking the right-handed starter and wishing they could get a redo on naming the fifth starter to begin the season.
Coming into the game, it wasn’t hard to see why Pepiot earned the nod as he had a 3.29 ERA with 19 strikeouts over 10 innings pitched. The finale, however, will leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouths, though.
The hope, though, is that Pepiot got it all out of his system and can get back to form when he makes his first start of the regular season. After the way his spring training ended, though, the fact of the matter is that he’ll be under the microscope the moment he takes the mound.
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