LOS ANGELES — Getting to the major leagues is difficult, surpassed only by figuring out a way to stay there.
Emmet Sheehan has a clear understanding of the routine.
The right-hander put together a second consecutive impressive major league outing since returning from Tommy John surgery and yet there remains no guarantee he will stay in the starting rotation long term.
Sheehan was added to the roster Sunday morning in place of right-handed reliever Jack Little and held the Houston Astros to one run on five hits over five innings. He walked one with four strikeouts.
As good as it was, it still did not prevent a sweep by the Astros, who walked away with a 5-1 victory in the series finale and outscored the Dodgers 29-6 over three games.
The weekend finally slipped away for good when the Astros sealed their third consecutive victory behind back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning from Christian Walker and Yainer Diaz against left-hander Tanner Scott.
Further adding to the sting was a ninth-inning home run from Astros mainstay Jose Altuve, a key member of the 2017 Houston team that defeated the Dodgers in the World Series.
Sheehan’s start was strikingly similar to the one he had June 18 against the San Diego Padres when he allowed one run on three hits over four innings. He did not walk a batter in that game and had six strikeouts.
But that outing against the Padres was followed by an option to Triple-A Oklahoma City, as the Dodgers elected to fortify their bullpen in advance of a trip into the demanding environs of Colorado.
After two outings with OKC, Sheehan was back to showing he can deliver the goods in the major leagues. The problem is a newfound embarrassment of riches, with the Dodgers expected to welcome not one, but two proven starters back into the fold in the coming weeks.
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow could end up returning from shoulder inflammation on Friday at San Francisco, with Sheehan possibly being asked to step aside again. If he stays, left-hander Blake Snell is due back soon after the All-Star break.
Manager Dave Roberts said he was looking for Sheehan to stay on the attack with his fastball and complement that with a plus curveball and changeup. The 25-year-old did exactly that, giving up his lone run in the third inning when Zack Short led off with a single and Isaac Paredes followed with an RBI double.
That erased an early Dodgers run when Dalton Rushing doubled in the second inning to score Michael Conforto, who led off with a walk. Rushing went 2-for-3 in his fourth two-hit game since his debut May 15.
Offense was difficult to come by with Teoscar Hernandez out with discomfort in his left foot after taking the brunt of a foul ball in Saturday’s game. Will Smith also was given a day of rest to give Rushing a start behind the plate.
With Sheehan out, the Astros went on the attack in the sixth inning against right-hander Will Klein. After two quick outs, Klein gave up a double to Yainer Diaz before Cooper Hummel was hit by a pitch and Mauricio Dubon singled to load the bases.
Another walk to Short, on a Klein curveball just at the top of the strike zone, gave Houston a 2-1 lead. Alex Vesia replaced Klein and escaped further damage when he struck out Paredes.
Walker’s home run was his ninth over his past eight games at Dodger Stadium, going back to last season as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. His streak of homers in six consecutive games in L.A. ended Saturday.
The Dodgers did threaten in the eighth inning with runners on first and second and trailing 4-1 before Freddie Freeman lined out to center.
Altuve’s home run in the ninth inning came against left-hander Anthony Banda.
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