“Everyone’s trying, but I think the effort could still be enhanced and improved, and more focused.” The urgency is not lost on Dave Roberts after they tanked eight of their last nine games. And if anything, the current scenario seems all the more familiar. From July 4 to August 13 last year, the Dodgers went 12-21 and lost their eight-game lead. It cost the Dodgers their postseason bye, despite finishing the season at the top of the NL West. So it makes sense why Roberts is now calling upon his players to buckle up.

With barely two months until the playoffs, the Los Angeles Dodgers have lost three consecutive series, exposing multiple weaknesses within the team. Though the defending World Series champions still lead the NL West, they must deliver so they can secure their wild-card bye, and the clock starts ticking as they take on the Kansas City Royals to begin their homestand on Monday.

“We’re a wildcard team right now,” Roberts said before Monday’s first pitch, per SportsNet LA on X. “We gotta get going and play with urgency. We gotta make sure we don’t get ahead of the playoff situation.”

The Dodgers’ recent rough patch has pushed them two spots off the NL lead. With a 70-48 record, the Dodgers currently trail the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves. With only 44 games left before the postseason begins, the Dodgers must pull themselves out of the funk as soon as possible. Otherwise, they risk losing a first-round bye in the postseason, and manager Roberts is no longer offering reassurances; rather, he is demanding action from his team.

“The ‘We’re gonna be OK, and we’re good’ — that’s not good enough. Clearly it’s not, given how we’ve played over the last month,” Roberts added. “Across the board, we need to play with more urgency, and our guys know that.”

The Dodgers just came out of their longest losing streak of the season with a 2-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday. However, it failed to bring any respite as they struggled with a cold offense and a shaky bullpen even while winning. As they took on the D’backs while navigating those same struggles during the series finale, the Dodgers lost 4-2.

In the last nine games, the Dodgers’ offense struggled to put up enough runs on the scoreboard. They have scored more than 4 runs only twice in this span, both times losing to the Chicago Cubs (10-5 and 7-6). Since the beginning of their slump on July 31, the Dodgers have scored only 29 runs.

During their latest series against Arizona, the D’backs’ starters silenced their lineup. While Eduardo Rodriguez allowed only two runs to the Dodgers’ lineup, Brandon Pfaadt shut them down for 7 innings on Saturday. Merrill Kelly also pitched five scoreless innings during the series opener.

While offensive failures have held the Dodgers back, pitching has not been their usual best either. While Edwin Diaz continued blowing saves, surrendering runs in late innings, the rotation struggled too. Even Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal took a loss in his debut start with the Dodgers. In the last three series, the rotation posted a 6.15 ERA collectively, which is the third-worst in the league, per reports.

However, they still hold a 7.5-game lead in the NL West over the second-place D’backs. Most importantly, the season is not over yet, and the Dodgers still have enough time to recover.

Last season, the Dodgers had to compete in the Wild Card game to stay alive and win their second consecutive World Series.

As the Dodgers begin their homestand against the Kansas City Royals, the team has announced some roster moves.

Dodgers call up pitchers

Ahead of Monday’s game, the Dodgers called up Seth Halvorsen and Charlie Barnes from Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets. Halvorsen will make his debut as a Dodger after he was acquired via trade.

The Colorado Rockies sent Halvorsen to the Dodgers in exchange for RHP Nick Frasso and OF Landyn Vidourek. Halvorsen has been playing in Oklahoma since he joined. The dominant RHP has pitched 6.1 shutout innings in his six appearances for Oklahoma and has allowed only 4 hits in this span. Before the Rockies traded him, Halvorsen posted a 4.74 ERA across 21 outings.

While Halvorsen has not pitched for the Dodgers before, Charlie Barnes has already made 4 big league appearances with the Dodgers. He pitched 10 innings and allowed 7 runs, posting a 6.30 ERA.

Now, as they take on the Royals, the Dodgers will aim to open the homestand with a win.