The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies played each other for the first time this season in what many believe could be a preview of the National League Championship Series, but the series didn’t live up to expectations.
The Phillies swept the Dodgers in three games and outscored them, 19-5. L.A. trailed Philadelphia in all but one inning during the entire series.
Whereas the Phillies recently got healthier with the returns of Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, the Dodgers are still missing several key contributors due to injury. It has forced the club to use depth players and rookies in prominent roles.
Manager Dave Roberts believes it has almost reached the point where the Dodgers have to play perfect baseball just to win a game, via Juan Toribio of MLB.com:
“I think … we don’t have much margin for error,” Roberts said. “I hate to say you’ve got to play perfect baseball to win, but it’s seeming like that. … I think we’re getting guys opportunities. When we do get guys back, guys are going to know that they had their opportunities to perform. That’s kind of where my head is at.”
The Dodgers’ list of injured players can virtually be an All-Star roster itself, with Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Max Muncy, Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler among those sidelined.
With Betts and Muncy out, the Dodgers have given more opportunities to the likes of Kiké Hernández, Miguel Rojas, Cavan Biggio and Chris Taylor, but they have collectively struggled at the plate.
The starting rotation has arguably been hit the hardest by injuries as the current staff consists of James Paxton, Gavin Stone, Landon Knack and Justin Wrobleski.
Without Yamamoto, Glasnow, Kershaw and Buehler, the group lacks an impact pitcher, which is why the Dodgers reportedly want to add one before the trade deadline.
Dave Roberts: Phillies ‘clearly a better team’ than Dodgers
After being swept by the Phillies, Roberts believes they are clearly the better team in comparison to the Dodgers and called on his players to get back on track.
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