The Dodgers are in the midst of a rough skid that has extended well into their recent road trip that ended in Anaheim. They now stand only one game above .500 for the season.
In their last 10 games, the Dodgers have gone 2-8 against the Brewers, Cubs and Angels, resulting in some questions early on in the season that need to be addressed. The team was fortunate to get things rolling with a hot start out of the gate; it has made absorbing the losses a little easier.
But when a team as good as the Dodgers loses that many games, it becomes concerning to say the least.
After Sunday’s loss, Trevor Bauer spoke to the media and talked about the rough road trip saying, “You can say it’s early, no need to panic, and (it’s) true, but at the end of the day, we’re not going to roll the bats and balls out there and win baseball games. We’re not going to sleep-walk our way to another division title and World Series.”
He went further by calling out the team’s poor performance overall by stating “I don’t necessarily want to speak for the team. But I’m pissed personally. I don’t like losing. I want to win. That’s why I came here. And we’re not playing up to our capabilities right now, so I’m mad.”
What he said was true: the team hasn’t been performing to what it’s capable of, and it looks like Bauer was beating around the bush when talking about the team. He’s always been vocal, whether it be through postgame interviews or through his social media channels, and on Sunday he took no exception by calling out the entire team’s lackluster performance during the road trip.
So what’s going on with the team’s struggles?
Well, it’s a culmination of things that summed up nicely by Sarah Wexler.
The bullpen woes have definitely been tough to watch. Collectively it holds a 4.54 ERA that no doubt puts a stop to the Dodgers’ success. The team has been putting some of its trust in younger arms like Mitch White, Dennis Santana and Garrett Cleavinger, which seems to be a heavy task on them as they’ve allowed 24 runs in their combined time with the boys in blue.
They have also been a combination of injuries, as seven relievers are on an injured list populated with names such as David Price, Scott Alexander, Brusdar Graterol and Corey Knebel.
It’s still early in the season, which will be said a lot, but the Dodgers shouldn’t seem desperate to make any huge moves to get an arm in the bullpen.
The guys they currently have need to step up.
Another issue with the Dodgers has been their streaky offense that has gone hot and cold multiple times throughout the season.
In the last seven days, the Dodgers are ranked 12th in offense with a .242 batting average, .344 OBP and .712 OPS. All of which are stats the team hopes to improve on as they begin their nine-game homestand.
The big bats of Mookie Betts, Corey Seager and Justin Turner have been doing what they can at the top of the order, leaving the bottom of the order (currently consisting of DJ Peters, Matt Beaty, Gavin Lux, and AJ Pollock [whenever he returns]) to step up and produce. The Dodgers’ depth, featuring Sheldon Neuse and Chris Taylor, is a reason the offense hasn’t gone completely cold — giving the team options it can plug in anywhere in the lineup.
There is still plenty of time for the Dodgers to get going again, and perhaps what’s missing is the adrenaline rush of every game mattering.
Every team is bound to slump at some point this season; for the Dodgers, despite their slump, they sit just three games behind the first-place Giants.
There are still many games left to be played and chances for the Dodgers’ depth to prove that they are still the team to beat not only in the National League West, but in the National League and all of Major League Baseball.
Patience will be key as the Dodgers will look to find their offense at home, and also figure out ways to get the most of their fledgling bullpen.
Photo Credit: New York PostÂ
