With Saturday’s loss, the Los Angeles Dodgers have yet to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks this season and at 4-9 have the third-worst record in the National League. In a streak that dates back to last season, Los Angeles has dropped 11 consecutive regular-season games to Arizona.
Despite their slow start to 2018, there’s hardly any panic in a clubhouse that returned the core of a team that needed just one more win to be crowned World Series champions. By now the refrain has become all too familiar.
Kenley Jansen, Matt Kemp, Corey Seager, Chris Taylor and Alex Wood are among the Dodgers who have noted how much baseball is left to be played this season. They were joined Saturday by manager Dave Roberts.
He admitted to being frustrated by how the season has gone but isn’t allowing that to lead to much more, per Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
“It’s definitely not panic, it’s frustration,” manager Dave Roberts said. “The way to sum it up is we’ve got to play better baseball. We’ve got to pitch better. We’ve got to hit better. And the defense has been spotty at times. To sum it up, we have to play better baseball.”
That Roberts would express such a sentiment is hardly a surprise. He’s consistently preached remaining in the moment and taking matters day-by-day since being at the helm of the Dodgers.
The steady manager was joined in that messaging by Cody Bellinger:
“It’s April 14, and we play until November or September,” first baseman Cody Bellinger said. “Obviously, it’s not the start we want. But I don’t think we’re worried about it at all. We want to play better. But the record doesn’t mean anything right now.”
Bellinger was a spark for the Dodgers as they were dealing with injuries and trudging through last April. They’re in a similar position now, as Tom Koehler and Justin Turner represent key players who currently are on the disabled list.
The situation could become more troublesome, as Logan Forsythe was removed during the sixth inning because of right shoulder tightness and sent for an MRI.
