The Los Angeles Dodgers began the 2021 season by winning 13 of their first 15 games, only to then endure a 5-15 stretch that saw them fall to third place in the National League West standings.
The club has since responded by winning 11 of their last 12 games, including seven consecutive after completing series sweeps of the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants. L.A. collectively has swung the bat much better and continues to pitch at a high level.
“We just started playing like ourselves more than anything,” Walker Buehler said of the Dodgers’ recent success. “We also got a couple new faces in here, and I think sometimes that can kind of re-energize you a little bit.
“Especially when they’re players of that kind of caliber. I think everyone wants to show what they’ve got. It’s been fun and glad to be playing good baseball again.”
Max Muncy echoed those sentiments and noticed the Dodgers trending upward when key regulars such as himself broke out of lengthy slumps. “I think we’re just getting back to ourselves,” Muncy said.
“We kind of got out of our own rhythm. We needed some guys to get back — myself included — and it seems like we’re all doing that right now. It’s allowing us to get out there and put ourselves in positions to win ballgames.”
The Dodgers demonstrated their offensive turnaround by scoring 19 runs in three games against the Giants at Oracle Park this past weekend. By winning all three games, L.A. leapfrogged San Francisco in the NL West standings and now trail the first-place San Diego Padres by only one game.
“It just means we’re back to playing good baseball. I think that’s the most important thing to us,” Muncy said of the Dodgers moving up the division standings.
“We know that if we’re playing our game, going out there and executing what we need to do, at the end of the day, end of the month, end of the season, we’re going to be right where we need to be.”
Roberts: Dodgers playing ‘complete baseball’
Similar to Buehler and Muncy, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes the team has been playing well as of late because they are clicking on all cylinders. “I just think we’re playing compete baseball,” Roberts said.
“Starting pitching has been consistent all year, I think defensively we’ve been playing much better, we’re tacking on runs and getting the big hit when we need it.”
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