For a team stacked with talent, 19 hits in two games and just 1 run to show for it doesn’t just sting, it screams missed opportunities. However, we can’t let this poor run overshadow Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s remarkable outing. At Busch Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals, Yamamoto pitched six scoreless innings with stunning execution. It was a clear sign that he was holding up to what he was brought in to do. But the Dodgers? Not quite.

Yamamoto has been the only Dodgers starter to consistently take the mound as planned. Against the Cardinals, he delivered six strong scoreless innings. Even then, the Dodgers lost 2-1. That very loss cost the Dodgers a whole series, with two of the three games having already gone the Cardinals’ way now.

After two consecutive losses, Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts didn’t hold back as he sent a message to the clubhouse. “I mean, obviously they are making pitches when they need to. There’s some strikeouts, there’s some soft contact, and honestly, I don’t think there’s hard hit balls that were being robbed in those situations,” Roberts said.

“They’re just making pitches when they need to,” he continued. This time, the Cardinals made the most of it as they outdueled the Dodgers’ hitters. The Dodgers were just 1-for-25 with runners in scoring position. So clearly, their hits were neither timely nor threatening enough.

Roberts expressed his disappointment. Of course, not in Yoshi, but in the lack of support behind the star pitcher. “It…it just makes it, you know, the way things are going right now, our margin is small, and we’ve got to find a way to capitalize on whatever opportunities we do get,” the manager remarked.

Right now the Dodgers are falling short in clutch moments. The missed opportunities are proving extremely costly. “And, uh, you know, recently we haven’t. Um, and yeah, when Yoshi pitches the way he did, go six scoreless, uh, you know, you’d like to think you’re going to come away with a win right there,” Roberts further added.

Yamamoto has consistently delivered quality outings. With this one, going six scoreless innings, he proved yet again that he’s the Dodgers’ most reliable starter this season. What’s unreliable, you ask? It’s the Dodgers’ offense at the moment.

Dodgers’ offense falls flat at the worst time

It’s looking like a full-blown offensive crisis for the Dodgers. After handing the Cardinals a 2-1 win, it marks the their third defeat in four games and fifth in seven to start the month. And now, naturally, serious concerns are rising about their ability to deliver.

With all the noise around their offensive woes, manager Dave Roberts kept his calm. At least to a certain extent. “It kind of goes in waves, and you can’t ride the emotional waves,” he said. He further expressed that there was no need to hit the panic button just yet.

Well, the Dodgers stand at 38-27 right now, so that isn’t bad. But they can’t afford offensive letdowns for much longer.

In the second game against the Cardinals, the Dodgers’ only run came on a Freddie Freeman strikeout during the eighth inning. That was when a wild pitch allowed Shohei Ohtani to score. The team shockingly went 1-for-25 with runners in scoring position. They left 21 runners stranded across the two games.

The Dodgers were once the only team hitting over .300 with runners in scoring position. Unfortunately, now that number is down to .232 as of June.

For the World Series champions, this drop-off in clutch hitting is a lot more than just a concern. It’s a warning light that is flashing on full beam. And the team must act accordingly.