Dodgers Manager Puts Shohei Ohtani & Co. on Notice After Offensive Meltdown in Humiliating Rays Defeat

The Dodgers have long been synonymous with firepower at the plate. With superstars like Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman anchoring the lineup, their offense has been a force to be reckoned with. On paper, the numbers back that up as well— a .255 team batting average, third-best in the league, and 573 runs scored, second only to the league leader. So, by all accounts, this is a lineup built to overwhelm pitchers and pile up runs. But has it been the same of late as well?

Well, the last 10 games tell a very different story. The once-potent Dodgers have seen their run production tumble from 5.21 per game to just 3.8. And their season strikeout rate of 22.1% has ballooned to a staggering 31.9% over the last three contests. The struggles reached a breaking point in a 0-4 shutout loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. That left manager Dave Roberts visibly frustrated as the team’s offensive slide showed no signs of improving. The skipper was brutally honest about how the dwindling offense was costing the team heavily.

“

With the Dodgers, it is evident that their hitters are increasingly focusing on power, rather than sweet contact. This approach is leading to more strikeouts when facing challenging pitching.

Against the Rays, the Dodgers’ bats didn’t offer much again. Surprisingly, they didn’t get anyone past first base until the sixth inning, when Miguel Rojas dropped down a bunt for a hit, and singles from Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman loaded the bases with one out. The strikeouts told the story again. The Dodgers went down 11 times in this one and 26 times through the first two games of the series.

So, it’s part of a larger trend that has slowed the offense all through July, with 252 strikeouts over the last 26 games. Even Ohtani is hitting only .202 over his last 28 games, going 22-for-109 with 41 SOs! But, apart from these, there were also other reasons why the Dodgers went blank against the Rays.

The Rays’ pitching brilliance made the Dodgers pay

Credit must be given where it’s due. Undoubtedly, the Dodgers are struggling with a high strikeout rate, but against the Rays, the credit goes to the Rays’ Drew Rasmussen as well. “We just certainly couldn’t figure out Rasmusen,” Roberts admitted.

Rasmussen tossed 5.1 scoreless innings and gave up just four hits. He was sharp, striking out six without issuing a single walk. And the Dodgers never even got a runner into scoring position. Moreover, the right-hander threw 51 of his 73 pitches for strikes before getting pulled just short of what would have been his fifth quality start of the year.

In the second inning, Teoscar Hernandez was quickly erased on a double play. Then, Freeman legged out a two-out infield single in the fourth. The Dodgers finally got their leadoff man on in the sixth when No. 9 hitter Miguel Rojas laid down a perfect bunt. But the day was Rasmussen’s. He got Mookie Betts to fly out for the first out.

Behind Rasmussen’s heroics, there was a successful workload management plan of the Rays. It’s been a careful return to the rotation for Rasmussen, who’s coming off his third major elbow surgery. He hasn’t gone six full innings since June 8, and Saturday’s outing was another sign that the cautious approach is paying off.

For the Dodgers, though, the offensive slump is reflecting a concerning picture, and they must improve going forward.