The Dodgers lost yet again on Tuesday, pathetically getting swept by the Cubs at Wrigley Field in a split double-header. The Dodgers continue to find excruciating ways of losing, but stuck to the tride and true losing methods of 2021, namely anemic offense and terrible relief pitching. They didn’t hit at all in their 7-1 opening game loss, scoring just the lone run off seven hits. In the second game, they had a lead, but the bullpen fronted by rookie Mitchell White blew a two-run lead with just one out remaining to secure the win.
But hey Justin Turner and Max Muncy both went deep in the night cap. Muncy’s solo blast tied the game and Turner’s long ball actually padded the Dodger’s brief lead giving them a 3-1 lead at that time. Turner is the lone Dodger hitter having a good season, but it’s good to see Muncy hitting the long ball again. The Dodgers certainly suck this year, but let’s look at the bright side and watch some Dodger dingers.
The Dodger offense came out of the starting gate fast, but faded fast before the first turn. I believe the coaches have to try and avoid over coaching. If it ain’t broke why try to fix it? If anything, they need to just work on making contact and putting the ball in play in order to beat the shift. The opposition is killing the Dodgers’ over exaggerated shift. It cannot be that hard. Untimely scheduled days off does not help either. Just when a player gets hot, DR sits them for their scheduled day off, which quickly cools them off. Where was Beaty? Ruiz? Turner? You have to keep the hot bats in the lineup. Why has Ruiz been in there every day? RISP, LOB, and K’s are again the Dodgers Achilles Heel. Dodger hitters are looking for the perfect pitch, rather than just putting the bat to where the pitch is thrown. Too much focus on the long ball. If they can see it, they should be able to hit it, and it does not have to be out of the park. They need to be more aggressive. Yes it is true, they don’t chase, but they do get caught looking a lot, especially with the erratic strike zones these umpires are calling. HR’s are nice, but conga lines are more fun to watch. They boast “Next Man Up” mentality, well they need to walk the walk!
Untimely injuries to pitching staff with May going down to TJ, Gonsolin, Graterol, Price, Knebel, also hit by the injury bug. Kelly’s unfortunate problems, which were hidden from the fans for a couple of years. Less than stellar performance by Kershaw and Bauer does not help. These two give up too many dingers. Why is DR always screwing around with the pitching rotation, shuffling the order, and giving extra days rest? Pitchers need to be on a routine. Take them out of routine, and you are asking for inconsistencies. Lastly, when a pitcher is pitching well “in cruise mode”, pitch counts, inning limits, and matchups have to be thrown out the door. Let them go, and give the bullpen some rest.
The defense has been hindered with way too many errors, the most alarming is Seager, who seems to be hiding an injury. His decrease in range and inability to get his glove down on simple grounders makes me believe he has back or hip problems again. The inconsistency of Lux and his battle with YIPS. The constant shuffling of the infield also leads to errors, with players playing out of normal position. Timing and consistency can only be achieved by a stable infield. As I said, the exaggerated shift has backfired on Roberts. Little dribbler grounders, and bloopers are finding the huge holes exposed by the shift. They would be better off playing the hitters strait up, and trusting the abilities of their pitchers.
The good thing is, odds are that things cannot get worse, they can only get better.