Even with a winless homestand, the Los Angeles Dodgers can still hang their hat on leading the National League West and holding the best record of baseball. But if their current rate persists, neither of those will hold true once the regular season ends.
It wasn’t that long ago the team ripped off 43 wins in 50 games, matching a stretch last seen with the 1912 New York Giants. What’s more, the Dodgers were on pace to match the MLB record of 116 wins that’s shared by the 1906 Chicago Cubs and 2001 Seattle Mariners.
Since a fateful series against the Milwaukee Brewers during Players Weekend, the Dodgers’ slide is one no could have foreseen. It’s tied or set franchise or MLB records that no team would like to be associated with.
Despite their current position in the standings, Justin Turner said the Dodgers are playing at a level that warrants them the title of worst team in baseball, according to Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
“Just sitting back and saying ‘We’re still the best team in baseball’ isn’t the answer,” Turner said. “Because regardless of what the record says, right now we’re the worst team in baseball. What we did three months ago doesn’t mean a whole lot right now. No one in this league is going to feel sorry for us. No one in this league is going to show up and be like, ‘Oh, poor Dodgers.’ There are a bunch of sharks in the water. We’re bleeding a little bit right now. I think teams are smelling the blood.”
In what’s become an infamous gaffe, Yasiel Puig and Turner graced the cover of Sports Illustrated last month, with the caption: “Best. Team. Ever?”
The Dodgers are just 4-17 since the cover was officially unveiled Aug. 22. The following night, Rich Hill lost a perfect game in the ninth inning and no-hitter on a walk-off home run in the 10th.
The friendly confines of Dodger Stadium didn’t lead to positive results for the Dodgers, who began a 10-game road trip Monday, with series against the San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies.
If the opener is any sign of what’s ahead, there’s more frustration to be had for the Dodgers.
