A seven-game losing streak. Then dropping series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Milwaukee Brewers. Defensive mistakes piling up and offense going quiet. None of these sound like a team that has won the last two World Series and is still top of the division. Yet, that has been the story of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the past few weeks. And the urgency manager Dave Roberts demanded from the clubhouse was missing.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Somehow they managed to find their footing in Colorado and swept the Rockies. And the manager couldn’t help but acknowledge how far the team had fallen.
“A week ago we were in a dark place,” Roberts said in an interview with SportsNet LA. “It was just good to see us come back this series and play the way we’re capable of. And this is a tough place to win baseball games and crazy things happen.”
The Dodgers never looked anything less than dominant in the first half. But they suffered a series sweep at home against the D’backs just before the All-Star break. They managed to start the second half with back-to-back series wins in New York and Philadelphia. But didn’t appear as dominant. And then came the 7-game slide as the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs swept them. Dodgers were able to recover against weaker opponents like the Kansas City Royals. But 3 losses in 4 games against the Brewers felt like they were back to square one again.
Players like Kyle Tucker, Teoscar Hernández, Mookie Betts, and even Max Muncy haven’t been able to provide the expected edge to the LA lineup. Meanwhile, defensive blunders from the likes of Tommy Edman and Tucker made it worse. And Tucker’s slump became a major storyline as the fans booed him and critics suggested a demotion to trigger a reset.
Aces like Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow are off the mound. And the Dodgers recently added Justin Wrobleski to the injured list. Tarik Skubal, their blockbuster trade acquisition, is still settling in.
And their concerns weren’t limited to the field only. Some recent developments regarding owner Mark Walter and his selling of other franchises did send a scare for the Dodgers fans.
But the performance part changed when they entered Coors Field this Monday. They had an 11-5 win in the series opener. And the Dodgers followed it up with a 7-6 and a 6-4 (extra innings) win to seal the sweep.
Roberts is positive that his boys will have a similar performance over the weekend when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates. He added:
“I just want to see that same intent offensively, defensively on the bases that we saw this weekend, this series.”
The Dodgers are 77-51. And they are the second-best division winners in the National League. All they need right now is the evidence that Dave Roberts’ message has finally reached the clubhouse.