Mookie Betts and Kiké Hernández both dealt with an illness last month, and now they are aligned in keeping perspective amid a recent slide for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers suffered their worst shutout loss at home in franchise history on Saturday when they were thrashed 16-0 by the Chicago Cubs. It required Miguel Rojas to pitch the final two innings, and while he attempted to bring some levity by impersonating the windups of multiple teammates, it wasn’t all that well received outside the organization.
The Dodgers followed their blowout loss with another flat offensive performance as they fell 4-2 to the Cubs in the series rubber match.
Since starting the season 8-0, setting an MLB record for best undefeated start by a defending World Series champion, the Dodgers are just 3-6 in their last nine games.
“I think it’s just a bumpy two weeks,” Mookie Betts said Sunday. “We got a long time, we got a long season to go and a lot can happen. This isn’t the first time we sucked for two weeks, it just happens that it’s right now. If we panic, things get worse. If we don’t panic, it looks like we don’t care.
“So what are we supposed to do?”
Beyond usual expectations on the Dodgers each season, there is increased pressure in 2025 because of an embarrassment of riches on the roster.
“You could say that, but you also understand it’s a 162-game season,” Kiké Hernández answered when asked if there’s a level of surprise over the Dodgers’ current struggles.
“It’s going to be like that. You’re never going to have every guy in the lineup be hot at the same time. We have more guys scuffling than we have guys that are feeling really good at the plate. It’s just one of those stretches right now.
“It’s a matter of time until we snap out of it.”
Dodgers trailing in NL West standings
Overall the Dodgers are tied for second-most wins in the Majors with an 11-6 record. However, the National League West is strong at the top thus far, with the San Diego Padres sitting in first place at 13-3.
They’re followed by the San Francisco Giants, who are 11-4 and thus have the Dodgers in third place in the NL West standings.
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