The case shifted from curious to critical as Sunday's game stretched into double-digit innings. Why was Dodgers reliever Chin-hui Tsao sitting in the dugout for the entirety of the game?
Tsao had pitched the night before. He had not pitched well, walking his last three batters and granting the Padres a victory on a walk-off walk, but the Dodgers were desperate enough to use Ross Stripling, their starter on Tuesday, for the final three innings. Why was Tsao not available?
After the 9-5 victory in 17 innings, Manager Dave Roberts offered a vague answer.