This is not the way it ends…
So, the Dodgers were swept by the Phillies, proving (according to some) that the Dodgers are a bunch of chokers and losers and will never win anything. I would say that if you believe that, you are probably jumping to the wrong conclusion. I can’t help you! It seems that most…
So, the Dodgers were swept by the Phillies, proving (according to some) that the Dodgers are a bunch of chokers and losers and will never win anything. I would say that if you believe that, you are probably jumping to the wrong conclusion. I can’t help you! It seems that most Dodger fans can look at this in one of two ways:
- This team is not good enough to compete for a World Championship. However, that would ignore the fact that the Dodgers have the 2nd best record in the NL behind the Phillies who (right now) seem to have everything going their way; or
- The Dodgers have more injuries than any team in baseball and also have three players who are hitting at their worst… EVER! They have two All-Stars (including a player who was in the running for NL MVP) on the IL as well as a full starting rotation and more on the IL.
So, it seems that many fans will gravitate to #1. Why? They always assume the worst.. even if the facts don’t support it. “Damn, the facts… my mind is made up, and I can’t be confused by the facts!” Yeah, I feel you!
However, a rational person could say that the Dodgers are going through a rough stretch, and they have a huge number of players on the IL and a few underperforming players, and while t is not great right now… the cavalry will arrive soon.
This happens every damn year. The Dodgers stumble, and many fans lose their minds, saying they won’t win 100 games or make the playoffs… but then they do. However, in the last three postseasons, they have not done well. I am going to tell you why this year is different. This year, Dave Roberts is running a Country Club. The team is very good; after all, with all of the adversity, they still have the 2nd best record in the National League. But, this year is different in that the team is just focused on getting to the playoffs… not winning a set number of games. At some point in time… probably in August, these guys will have a team meeting, and everyone will unite around a common goal, and that is winning the 2024 World Series.
Dave Roberts said this: “They’re obviously playing much better baseball than we are right now. They’re clearly a stronger team at this moment.” He went on to say: “We didn’t perform well in this series. Our starting pitching, defense, base running, situational hitting, and getting hits— we were outplayed in every aspect.”
There is no avoiding the truth. The Dodgers were thoroughly outmatched by a Phillies team that currently appears superior in nearly every way. Los Angeles’ offense was limited to just five runs, and none of their starting pitchers lasted more than five innings, continuing a troubling trend from the past few weeks. Offensively, the Dodgers are without Mookie Betts, who was arguably the favorite to win the NL MVP Award before suffering a fractured left hand on June 16. They’re also without Max Muncy, who last played on May 15 due to a strained right oblique. Even with some inconsistencies, Muncy provides a constant presence in the middle of the lineup that allows other hitters to slide down in the order.
Those are reasons, not excuses, and the Dodgers need to play better. They will also get some injured players back, but who and when remains to be seen. The Dodgers will be players at the deadline; who they target and who they get are mysteries to us. With a seven-game lead over the Padres, the Dodgers do not feel a sense of urgency. Last year, the Rangers needed to win the final game of the season to win their division, and they lost. They backed into the playoffs, but that loss did not define their season. Getting swept by the Phillies in July does not define the Dodgers either.
I remember the 1988 Dodgers, who were 1-11 against the Mets in the regular season, but in the playoffs, that meant nothing. This team will be galvanized together soon enough, and you will see some spectacular play. Sometimes, these kinds of blips in the road end up forming the character of the team. It’s a process, and the Dodgers know what just happened. They will remember. This series was a strange one. The Phillies got some soft contact that turned into hits, and the way the game ended was emblematic of what this series was about. Patience Grasshoppers! In their last 44 games, the Dodgers are 22-22. This too, shall pass. Should they have traded this guy?
X-CITES
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Discussion (92)
Disagree, not disagreeable
They had an interesting question on the Dodger Blue podcast:
Would you be happy with the trade dealine if the Dodgers were able to haul in 2 out of 3 from Eovaldi/Kikuchi/Flaherty PLUS 2 our of 3 from Pham/Winker&Canha/ ?
Me: I would be extremely happy with that kind of haul. Especially with those pitchers. and all three would be only rentals costing not as much as Crochet in prospects and not blocking others for 2025
Arozarena and Bellinger both would be good options too. Belli would fill several needs . LH bat plus great defense in CF.
There are some very good options out there for the Dodgers and AF. Lets see what he can do.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!1
Thursday scores
Oklahoma City 5, El Paso 0
Tulsa 6, Corpus Christi 5
Game 1 — Great Lakes 4, Fort Wayne 1
Game 2 — Fort Wayne 3, Great Lakes 2
Rancho Cucamonga 8, Stockton 7
Friday schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Jackson Ferris) vs. Fort Wayne (Henry Baez)
5 p.m.: Tulsa (Orlando Ortiz-Mayr) vs. Corpus Christi (Joey Mancini)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Hyun-il Choi) vs. El Paso (Luke Westphal)
7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Luke Fox) at Stockton (Corey Avant)
“Alex Freeland had three hits, including an RBI double, and stole a base for Double-A Tulsa, continuing a roughly two-week hot streak in a strong season”.
Not worried this is what baseball fans do….freak out when their team hits a rough patch. There is no way this is the roster that they will be running out there in October. I’ll reassess on August 1st where we are at and my guess is Friedman will be all in and they certainly have the assets to get much better.
Not much to add to this:
Open on www.truebluela.comhttps://www.truebluela.com/2024/7/11/24196900/dodgers-roster-shakeup-neededGo Dodgers!!!!!!!!
The Dodgers look broken. Well, the pitching staff is broken. Whether they come back healthy and ready to go at some point is definitely up in the air. Initially injuries seem minor, but then they extend, it’s obvious not everything is well. Okay, I’m thinking Glasnow, Yamamoto should be okay at some point.
But the line-up seems to a mess. Definitely could use another bat or two. The deadline is near, the Dodgers obviously need to prioritize. Pitching or hitting or a bit of both.
What is with the Dodgers and injuries? Obviously it has to be in he training and weight lifting programs. Too many pulls, tears and strains. Seems like their pitchers are getting hurt all the time.
Okay, the Walker Buehler thing is weird. Are they writing him off? In spring they seem to have been counting on his recovery. Now, not so much. Is it his head or something else?
At some point Mookie Betts will be back. In the meantime, he has been pretty good in the booth, definitely adds insight.
As for the sky is falling, the Dodgers have been here many times. Usually a couple of times each summer they hit a big pothole and a wheel falls off. But they always seem to recover and win the division.
Any updates on Clayton Kershaw?