The bullpen mounds were empty as J.T. Chargois returned to the diamond at Oakland Coliseum for Wednesday’s eighth inning. He had pitched the seventh inning earlier in the night and the eighth inning a night before. His presence at this moment reflected both the confidence Chargois has earned since rejoining the Dodgers in early July and the dearth of relief options available to manager Dave Roberts.
Stretched beyond his regular usage, Chargois built a fire. The flames billowed into a 3-2 defeat to the Athletics thanks to slippery hands of catcher Yasmani Grandal. After Chargois gave up a pair of singles, he induced a grounder off the bat of Oakland slugger Khris Davis.