The Los Angeles Dodgers’ second-half struggles continued in a 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. They dropped a third consecutive series for the first time in nearly a year and finished just 1-5 on their road trip.
The Dodgers’ losing stretch has concerned some, but nearly every team goes through some type of adversity over the course of a 162-game season. Freddie Freeman has seen plenty of that in his 17 big league seasons and is confident the team will eventually bounce back.
“It’s baseball. Ups and downs,” Freeman said on SportsNet LA. “We’re going to go through it. No one’s worried in here. It just so happens to be in a time where our pitching’s been pitching good the last couple games, and as an offense, we got to do better. So hopefully that starts tomorrow.”
Freeman had a 15-game hitting streak snapped in the series opener against the Diamondbacks, and he was also hitless on Saturday. He then went 1-for-4 with a run scored in the finale.
Freeman’s bat cooling off came with hitting into double plays at a high rate throughout the weekend, which has been a problem for the Dodgers as a whole.
Dave Roberts not concerned about Dodgers
The Dodgers are now just 9-12 since the All-Star break. Despite their recent stretch of poor play, they still hold a commanding 7.5-game lead over the second-place Diamondbacks in the National League West.
“I don’t think there’s concern,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We’ve still got a really good ballclub. There’s certainly not panic. I think for us, it’s just finding a way to win a game and win consistently. I think that’s the focus versus what type of emotions you’re feeling. It’s just not helpful anyway, regardless.”
The Dodgers offense collectively struggled against the Diamondbacks, scoring just seven runs in three games. They were also let down at times by their bullpen — particularly Edwin Díaz, who blew two saves at Chase Field. L.A.’s starting pitching had better results after a rough series against the Chicago Cubs.
“I think it’s just when you’re losing like we’re losing, it’s always a combination,” Roberts said when asked what the biggest issue has been during their losing stretch. “Some days it’s the starters, some days it’s the relievers, some days it’s the offense.
“When you can sync those up, you have a better chance to win. And when you don’t, which we haven’t in that span of time you talked about, you lose more than you win. So yeah, we’re certainly not playing up to our capabilities.”
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