Dodgers becoming a punching bag for NL West

Phil Gurnee ♦ September 8, 2017 ♦ 4 Comments

On Sunday, August 27th, the Dodgers played their last game against the NL Central losing to the Brewers 3  – 2. On August 25th the Dodgers had a 21 game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Since August 27th the Dodgers have only played NL West teams:

• The Diamondbacks swept the Dodgers in Arizona outscoring the Dodgers 21 – 11 and cutting the lead to 16 games. No big deal.
• Next up were the Padres and the Dodgers beat the 1 – 0 in Kershaw’s first game in months.  Arizona also won so the lead was still 16 games.
• The Dodgers would lose the next three games to the Padres giving up at least six runs in each game. The previous seven games the Dodger pitching had given up at least six runs in each game, except for the Kershaw game.
• The lead over the Diamondbacks was now 13.5. Still no big deal.
• The Dodgers headed home for a three game series with Arizona. They lost every game getting outscored 19 – 2. The Diamondbacks had beat the Dodgers six in a row in a nine game period and outscored them 40 – 12. Included in that was a beat down of epic proportions when they won 13 – 0.  The lead was now 10.5 games.
• Colorado came to town but Kershaw was on the mound. No matter, the Rockies made short work of Kershaw and crushed the Dodgers 9 – 1. Diamondbacks took the day off but still gained 1/2 a game. They are now 10 games back.
• The Dodgers have now lost 12 of 13 games
• The Dodgers have lost 10 of 11 games against the NL West since August 29th
• The Dodgers have four times only scored more than four runs while losing those 12 of 13 games.

We should be clear, with only 22 games left and a 10 game lead if would be virtually impossible for the Dodgers to not win the NL West.

Let us also be clear,  I’m not panicking but this is also a meltdown of historical proportions.  The Dodgers have had 11 games wiped off their lead in a matter of 13 games. The combination of the Dodgers losing 12 of 13 games, and Diamondbacks winning every game. I’ll let someone run the numbers but I’ll conjecture that no Dodger team that was ever in 1st place in August lost 12 of 13 games.

Everyone says not to worry, but right now this team is in disarray and while Dave Roberts can promise the fans the team will win the NL West, that does little to quiet the concern they see for a team being used as a punching bag.

Where are the Giants when you need them?

They have no starting CF. They tried an AAA prospect who failed to impress in very limited starts. They have currently gone back to the CF they sent to AAA and who performed miserably while in AAA. I was wrong in that I didn’t think Joc would get much play in Sept, but things must be a little alarming in that they have given him a tryout in Sept to win back his CF job.

Walker Buehler made his debut and looked great in two innings in a game that was already out of reach.  I can’t wait to see him in a high leverage situation because he might need to join Jansen/Morrow/Cingrani/Watson. Though I worry he’s not ready for that role if they decide to use him in October.

• The LF they traded for has been as bad as the RF they traded for last summer.
• The 2nd base duo are not hitting
• The bullpen is getting tattooed.
• The 2nd ace they traded for has failed to pitch like someone who will match up well in October.
• The MVP candidate and all-star Shortstop has a bum wing.
• Baez blew up in Sept instead of waiting for October

They have 22 games to get his sorted out and the odds are that they will get it straightened out.

• Seager will be back, which will put Chris Taylor back in CF.
• Darvish will probably start pitching like that ace starting tonight
• Logan or Chase might start hitting again
• Granderson might start hitting again
• Most of the bullpen that is getting hurt, will not be on the staff in October.

Might, they need alot of mights right now.  There are only good to great teams in their in  their future in October if the Diamondbacks win the play-in game.

Time to start getting it back together.