A historic August made the Los Angeles Dodgers the clear favorites in the National League West as they began to run away with the division by going 24-5 in the month.
But after that red-hot stretch, things have slowed to a halt. The Dodgers are 1-4 to begin September after dropping three of four games against the Atlanta Braves this month and then losing their first two of a series with the Miami Marlins.
Although the results aren’t showing up in the win column for the Dodgers to begin the month, manager Dave Roberts doesn’t think it’s been a letdown after the success they had in August, via SportsNet LA:
“No, I don’t think so. I think it was a really good series with the Braves and they won three out of four, but these guys are fighting for their lives right now so you see that energy. But I don’t think it’s a letdown. I thought we were in control until we weren’t. So I don’t think it’s a letdown.”
The Dodgers have been outscored 28=15 in September, with much of the damage coming from the Marlins and their 11-run outburst on Wednesday.
Thankfully for L.A., they can afford to go on a poor stretch because of a 13-game lead in the division. They are also a near-guarantee to clinch the second spot in the NL postseason bracket, which will provide them a bye through the Wild Card Round.
And on the optimistic side, they were due for a rough stretch, so it’s better to get that out of the way before the playoffs begin in a month. Granted, the Dodgers still need to get hot at the right time.
Still, they face a challenging road ahead with their starting rotation in a constant state of flux thanks to multiple injuries, an arrest and overall struggles from the pitchers they expected to rely on.
Dodgers lose Julio Urías to administrative leave following arrest
Julio Urías is going to remain away from the Dodgers for the foreseeable future as he was placed on paid administrative leave by Major League Baseball following his arrest late Sunday night on suspicion of felony domestic violence.
The leave removes Urías from the active and 40-man rosters, and typically is for seven to 10 days, but can be extended in a joint agreement between MLB and the Players Association.
MLB has the authority to unilaterally put players on administrative leave while conducting an investigation, but with Urías, came to an agreement with the union. It also appears the 27-year-old will remain on the restricted list indefinitely.
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