The Dodgers are having a good season as they attempt to defend their World Series Championship. Repeating is one of the hardest things to do in sports. The Dodgers have had some setbacks however. Injuries, hitting slumps and poor minor league depth has set the Dodgers back in 2021. The Dodgers are still sitting in a good position, with the second-best record in the National League at 43-27. Unfortunately, that position still puts them 1.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants entering play on Sunday June 20. We’re far enough into the season that we need to start taking the Giants seriously.
We thought the Padres would be the Dodger’s biggest problem, but they have hit the skids in recent weeks. Injuries have hampered them as well, dropping them five games behind the Giants in third place in the National League West. The Dodgers have a big series with the Padres on Monday, but getting back to the Giants here for a minute.
They have the makings of a good team, and can potentially be a thorn in the Dodger’s side. The Dodgers have the best run differential in the National League at +106. Guess how has the second best with a +81? You guessed it, the Giants do. The Giants are outscoring their opponents just as much as the Dodgers are theirs.
Taking an even deeper look, the Giants have had a very productive offence. The Dodgers are second in baseball with a .339 on-base percentage. Guess who is sixth? Yup, the stupid Giants are. If you are talking power, the Giants have hit more home runs than the Dodgers have (106 to 89), and they rank second in MLB in that category. The Giants rank sixth in slugging, the Dodgers tenth. The Dodgers have drawn the most amount of walks in the majors with 303. Look who is right behind them in third with 277, the Giants.
And with runners in scoring position, the Giants have been a little better, ranking second in batting average, and OPS with the Dodgers ranking fifth. Let’s take a look at the pitching. The Giants are good on the mound too. Dodgers rank third in MLB with a 3.15 team ERA, but the Giants rank fifth with a 3.34 ERA. Dodgers rank first in team WHIP, the Giants third. The Dodgers starting pitchers rank second in ERA, but the Giants rank sixth. They’re bullpens are evenly matched. Defensively, the Giants are very solid too. The point is, it looks like the Giants are good this year, and it’s too late in the season to continue to dismiss them as a glitch. Or pretend it’s too early in the season to take them serious. It’s not too early anymore.
The Dodgers got to them in San Francisco early in the season with a sweep, but when the two clubs played at Dodger Stadium, the Giants took three out of four. The Giants are run by former Dodgers Farhan Zaidi and field manager Gabe Kapler. Both of those guys know how to put together competitive clubs. The two teams meet again at the end of the month for a two-game set at Dodger Stadium. If the Dodgers want to win their ninth consecutive NL West crown, they’re going to have to beat the Giants to do it.
They do not call them the Gnats for nothing. The Giants will alway be a dark cloud hovering over the Dodgers, waiting for the right time to rain on their championship parade. Farhan would like nothing better than to spoil the Dodgers opportunity to repeat. Yes, the Padres are sinking fast, but do not take them for granted either. They have always been the Dodger spoiler.
No more being satisfied with just a series win, especially against inferior teams. They must go for the jugular and sweep. No more bullpen games. Find a legitimate 5th starter. The bullpen is overused as it is. No more patchwork lineups. Stop scheduled days off or extra days rest, at least until they get back to a healthy roster. … should be “All Hand on Deck”! No more dumpster finds or AAA wanna-be’s. Package them up and make a trade, even if they have to sacrifice a low prospect or two to sweeten the deal.
The Dodgers are treading water with cement shoes, while the Giants sail by, and lead the West. Are the players not listening to their trainers, are the trainers lousy, or are the players just flat out lazy? The injuries need to cease. Get healthy, and stay healthy.
The Dodgers need to stop fooling around and get down to business. No time for excuses. Offense needs to start manufacturing runs, not continue to waste scoring opportunities. HR’s are nice, but Conga Lines are better.
Aim to lead the West, and be in the driver’s seat when they get their injured back. Then it will be peddle to the metal, and another championship.
Need better relieve pitcher. It’s that simple
The Dodgers have an army of relievers because they only have four starters who rarely get in a solid six innings, or are pulled early because of strictly enforced pitch counts, matchups, or lack of offensive support resulting in being pulled for pinch hitter.
Not having a legitimate fifth starter forces DR to mandate bullpen games and throw inexperienced relievers like Uceta, Visia, White, Bickford, and Kickham into the fire. All five of these pitchers need more work in the minors. The revolving door in the bullpen does not help these guys. The bullpen is actually pretty sound without these five, but because of offensive shortcomings (RISP, GIDP, Popouts, Fielder’s Choice Groundouts, KO’s) DR is forced to go the the pen early on too many occasions. Kelly, Treinen, Gonzalez, Price, Nelson, Jansen, and even Cleavinger have been decent out of the pen when not overused.
Gonsolin is close to becoming the fifth starter, but really not there yet. Acquiring a legit fifth starter would really help, and Gonsolin might be more effective as a long reliever out of the pen, good for two or three innings. That would give the Dodgers eight relievers, which should be enough to compliment five starters…. A pitching staff of 13.
IMO, without May, acquiring a new fifth starter is essential to fill the void.
So another quality start by Kershaw…. NOT! Dingers are Kershaw’s Achilles Heel. Another starter failing to go at least 7, taxing the bullpen.
Add to that, no offense AGAIN. Blown scoring opportunities, as usual. 8 hits and 5 walks, but could only garner 2 measly runs? 2-8 RISP, 10 LOB, 9 KO’s.
The only thing the Dodgers have succeeded to do, is feed San Diego’s ego, and confidence.
Embarrassing, to say the least.
Now they must try and prevent a sweep.
So, another quality start by Bauer…. NOT! Another Dodger pitcher serving up meatballs to the opposition. Surrendering an early lead, coupled with another piss poor offensive and defensive performances, has “rolled” the Dodgers. Bauer got “Rolled”, the team got “Rolled”.
Losing 7 of 8 to the Pads is totally unacceptable.
Get another starter, or two. Buehler seems to be the only starter capable of domination. Offensive and defensive urgency seems to be lacking. Dodgers playing with no heart or pride.
Get it together, Dodgers!
Another quality start by Buehler…. Maybe NOT
Aside from two bad pitches, Buehler did manage to keep the damage to an acceptable minimum. After allowing an early 1-run lead in the first with a dinger, Walker did hold court until giving up a door slamming two run dinger in the 6th. The Dodger starters are infected with the Homer Virus. They need a vaccine quick! Is there a Magic Johnson & Johnson vaccine out there?
Thursday’s series finale once again exhibited an impotent offense. The Dodger hitters stymied by an 88 MPH batting practice pitcher and a combined no-hitter. Yup! No hits, but with eight free passes the Dodgers did manage to get a runner in scoring position. Still, the only way they would have brought that runner in would have been two more walks. The Dodgers are once again in Homerun Swing mode. Swinging for the fences, leading to popouts, swings and misses, or caught looking for the perfect pitch. I guess that’s easy to do when they are forced on their heels early, must play catch-up baseball, and their teammates are sputtering at the plate. Their offensive strategy needs to change.
Why is it that opposing hitters can capitalize on every Dodger pitcher’s mistakes. Unlike the Dodgers, who seem to pass on opportunities at the plate, or are the opposing pitchers really that good that they do not make mistakes? Also, Dodger pitchers are giving up too many stolen bases. Teams are running wild on the Dodger pitchers.
Defensive mistakes continue to plague the Dodgers. Misplayed opportunities giving the opposition extra outs. Over-shifting out of position, has been a question with me, I don’t know about you. All the opposition has to do is put the bat on the ball, and they will be rewarded with a cheap Texas Leaguer hit.
So, until the Dodgers start showing some pride and sense of urgency, their downward spiral will continue. The Dodgers need to represent and play like champions, not roll over and play dead.
One more thing…. Trevor Bauer’s antics are getting old. All he is doing is firing up the opposition, while they continue to “Steamroll” over him, and the Dodgers. You have to walk the walk, before you talk the talk, or is the other way around?