On the first day of spring training at the Camelback Ranch, a member of the Dodgers’ staff surveyed the landscape adorned with reminders of the team’s recent successes. With a sigh, the staffer reflected on the previous season, saying, “Last year was not a fun year, at least, not until the end.”
Indeed, after achieving their first full-season title in over thirty years, many may overlook the struggles that led to that moment. The Dodgers faced numerous challenges last season, including a staggering number of injuries to their pitching staff, inconsistent batting, and the team’s lowest win total in a full regular season (98) in the past six years.
Fast forward to this season, and the Dodgers find themselves grappling with a similar set of issues. Recently, they’ve faced injuries among their pitchers and throughout the bullpen. While they started the season leading the major leagues in scoring, their offense has faltered in the last month and a half.
After suffering a 7-4 defeat against the Angels in the initial game of a three-game Freeway Series, the Dodgers currently sit with a record of 68-51, projecting only 92 wins this season. Their lead in the National League West has diminished to just a single game over the San Diego Padres.
“It’s not going well for us right now,” expressed third baseman Max Muncy. “We’ve got to find a way to snap out of it. No one’s going to feel sorry for us. It’s on us to find our way back, and we need to do it.”
Monday’s game against the Angels was a rough start. Despite having an extra day off before the matchup, pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggled significantly, marking one of his most challenging outings in his career. He allowed a home run on the very first pitch of the game and continued to falter, leading to his early removal after just 4⅔ innings, which was a surprising turn for a player with an impressive track record.
“I was off rhythm,” Yamamoto remarked, reflecting on the early runs he conceded. “I tried to adjust as the game progressed, but unfortunately, I couldn’t.”
The Dodgers’ offense did not show much improvement either. They struggled to connect against Angels pitcher José Soriano, managing only two hits in the first six innings, which included six strikeouts. They only got runners into scoring positions late in the game, by which time they had already fallen behind 7-0 due to Zach Neto’s continuous contributions to the Angels’ score.
Although Muncy and Shohei Ohtani eventually managed to get the Dodgers on the board with home runs late in the game, the team’s efforts were insufficient. With the Angels improving to 4-0 against the Dodgers this season, this loss was a tough blow for the club.
“This was a bad loss for us,” Muncy acknowledged. “There’s not really a way of getting around that.”
With the recent losses, the Dodgers have seen a noticeable decline in performance, dropping to a record of 12-19 since July 4. As their competitors, like the Padres, close in on them, the pressure is mounting. Manager Dave Roberts commented on the urgency surrounding the team’s current situation, acknowledging that the standings are becoming more competitive.
“It’s gotten a lot more interesting,” Roberts said. “We have to play good baseball. I feel our guys are realizing that urgency. It’s been long enough of middling results.”
Even with the growing frustrations this season, the silver lining for the Dodgers remains their ability to recover from similar challenges in the past. Last season, they managed to work through adversity, ultimately claiming the championship. However, the hope this year was to alleviate some of that stress and provide a smoother path to defending their title.
As the season approaches its final stretch, the Dodgers’ journey is anything but smooth. With less than two months remaining in the regular season, the challenges buried in prior triumphs are resurfacing.
Though the Dodgers can still aim for another World Series title, the road so far has proven to be filled with hurdles. The aspirations for a more enjoyable title defense are now clouded with questions about how they can bounce back before it’s too late. The coming weeks will be critical in carving out a path toward not only playoff contention but possibly reclaiming their championship glory.
