The month of August has been a mixed bag for the Los Angeles Dodgers, as separate spurts of mediocrity and dominance have equated to an underwhelming 8-9 record thus far.
After dropping five of seven to a pair of National League West foes in the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers rebounded with their first series win since the end of July over the playoff-hopeful Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.
The club now returns to Dodger Stadium, where 13 of the next 15 contests will be held against a variety of contenders and rebuilders, including a crucial four-game series against the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks that’s set to take place at the conclusion of the month.
Let’s review the previous three weeks of play and analyze which Dodgers players have hit their stride, as well as those looking for a turnaround as the calendar inches closer to September.
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The bullpen: The Dodgers’ relief corps has struggled in the absence of closer Kenley Jansen, compiling a 5.50 ERA and 4.27 FIP in 52.1 innings pitched with 48 hits, 32 runs allowed, 18 walks and an MLB-worst six blown saves.
Jansen is expected to follow-up with his cardiologist on Monday, and depending on the results, could return to the mound sooner than what was initially expected.
Matt Kemp: Kemp’s second half struggles have carried over into August, where he is hitting a weak .188/.259/.271 with one home run in 54 plate appearances — striking out nearly 26 percent of the time.
Chris Taylor Taylor has gotten off to a slow start thus far, piecing together a feeble .188/.259/.313 batting line with three extra-base hits and three RBI in 54 trips to the plate (15).
Taylor has especially struggled to put the ball in play, having struck out a team-high 19 times this month while only drawing five walks to boot.
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Cody Bellinger: Bellinger has torn the cover off the ball this month, accumulating a .431/.507/.621 slash line with three homers and a team-high 15 RBI in 67 plate appearances (17 games).
Walker Buehler: The rookie is off to an excellent start in August, having posted a 1.47 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with 22 strikeouts over 18.1 innings pitched (three starts).
Brian Dozier: Dozier has provided a spark to the Dodgers lineup since being acquired from the Minnesota Twins at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, batting .250/.395/.467 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 17 games.
Clayton Kershaw: The three-time Cy Young Award is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA, 2.20 FIP and 0.81 WHIP in 27 innings pitched (four starts). In that span, he has struck out 24 batters compared to three walks while yielding only one home run.
Yasiel Puig: One of the hottest hitters in baseball as of late, Puig has continued his tear at the plate to the tune of a .288/.315/.500 slash line with three home runs, seven runs and eight RBI across 54 plate appearances this month.
Justin Turner: Turner has enjoyed his finest month of the season at the plate, batting a ridiculous .439/.522/.789 with six doubles, one triple, four home runs, 15 runs and 10 RBI over 67 trips to the plate (15 games). He enters play Monday with a 13-game hitting streak.
Turner leads the Dodgers with 1.5 WAR (FanGraphs) this month, excelling both offensively and with his glove at third base.
Alex Wood: The southpaw has thrived in keeping runs off the board this month, limiting the opposition to a 1.64 ERA against him in 11 innings (two starts).
Honorable Mentions
Max Muncy: With a disappointing month of July in the rearview mirror, Muncy has rebounded with a .250/.302/.650 slash line (152 wRC+) in August.
After seeing his power numbers drop as of late, he has additionally bounced back with four homers and a .394 wOBA over his last 15 games.
