The Los Angeles Dodgers have not gotten off to the start they hoped for this season, as they closed the month of April on Monday night with an 8-5 loss to the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks.
Los Angeles dropped to 12-16 on the season and again are on a three-game losing streak. A lot of the Dodgers’ struggles in the first month of the season came against division opponents, the Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants in particular.
The Dodgers have played more than half of their games against the two. In seven games against the Diamondbacks they are 1-6, and in 10 games against the Giants, they are 4-6. Los Angeles is 7-4 against all other opponents.
Relief pitcher Ross Stripling, who made a spot start against the Diamondbacks on Monday, was very candid in admitting the team is looking forward to playing other clubs, via Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
Ross Stripling: “I think we’re just ready to play someone else. It feels like we’ve played the Giants and the Diamondbacks 30 times."
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) May 1, 2018
The Dodgers also struggled against the Diamondbacks during the 2017 regular season, but when it mattered most, they swept them in the National League Division Series en route to a postseason run that ended in a World Series Game 7 loss.
So far, the 2018 Dodgers do not resemble the 2017 version in any way though. And matters got worse before the series opener at Chase Field as it was announced All-Star shortstop Corey Seager will be forced to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season.
After the conclusion of their series with the Diamondbacks, the Dodgers only play Arizona two more times (one series) from now until Aug. 30, and they only have one series against the Giants from now until Aug. 13.
