After gaining traction in June and carrying momentum into July, the Los Angeles Dodgers have since regressed. As a result, they begin Friday 4.5 games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks for first place in the National League West.
The Dodgers are 8-12 during the month of August, have just one series win during that time, and are 4-9 since splitting two games with the Oakland Athletics. Their struggles were largely pinned on a shaky bullpen that was without Kenley Jansen for a brief stretch, but the offense deserves some share of the blame as well.
No matter who’s been at fault, fact of the matter is the Dodgers have begun to back themselves up against a wall with respect to winning the NL West for a sixth consecutive season, or qualifying for the postseason via the Wild Card Game.
With only 34 games remaining this season, manager Dave Roberts believes the Dodgers should feel and play with a sense of urgency, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“Yeah. There is, and they should. I feel it. There should be. Urgency is a good thing. When the stakes are where they’re at and every game is important, we should play with a sense of urgency. If you’ve seen the way I’ve managed things, every game is important.”
If there’s a bit of a saving grace for the Dodgers it’s that they face the teams ahead of them down the stretch of the season. They have a four-game series with the Diamondbacks that begins Aug. 30 at Dodger Stadium, then see Rockies on Sept. 7 for the start of a three-game set at Coors Field.
The Rockies later visit Dodger Stadium from Sept. 17-19, and the Dodgers begin a three-game series with the Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Sept. 24.
