Dodgers’ Dave Roberts Unpacks ‘Disheartening’ Trend LA Has Continued

Landon Knack gave up five runs in the first two innings of the Friday night game at Truist Park. The Dodgers could never recover after the rookie’s blunder, an alarming sight given the Los Angeles lineup features Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman.

The Dodgers’ star-studded offense was lifeless at a point in the season when every game matters. The final weeks of the regular season are somewhat of a practice run for the must-win games in October.

A win or loss could be all the difference in clinching a playoff spot. Although the Dodgers still lead the National League West by 4.5 games, the club should be playing its best baseball.

As of late, a concerning trend has emerged with the Dodgers. A Los Angeles pitcher will put the team in an early deficit and the offense never recovers. This was the case against the Atlanta Braves.

The Dodgers were silent aside from a solo home run from Miguel Rojas and a Teoscar Hernandez score off an RBI single from Tommy Edman. Ohtani struck out twice. The $700 million man was hitless in his four at-bats.

Gavin Lux flew out to left field after a single from Will Smith put runners on first and third. After an active third and fourth inning, the Dodgers didn’t get another runner past first base.

“The human part on the hitters’ side – I think that that’s a fair thought,” Roberts told Bill Plunkett of The Orange Country Register. “I don’t think it’s an excuse. I don’t think they’ll make it an excuse. They still have jobs to do to catch the baseball and take good at-bats. But yeah, I think sometimes it can be a little disheartening or take the wind out of your sails. But I still don’t see that as an excuse.”

There’s no excuse for arguably the greatest lineup in baseball. The Dodgers have some soul-searching to do in these final weeks of the regular season.

It all comes down to one question: Who do the Dodgers want to be in the postseason? The club is notorious for falling short when it matters most, but this season can be different if the teams make the necessary changes.

Photo Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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