This season, the Dodgers are leading the majors in batting average and OPS, and they sit in second place for runs scored. Yet, some of their star players are having a rough start.
Coach Dave Roberts, however, isn’t ready to overlook the lack of effort he observed during Tuesday’s game. It was the first time this season he openly criticized the team’s at-bats.
“If we’re not putting up the numbers we expect, we have to adjust to the situation,” he stated. “Tonight wasn’t a good showing at all. That’s the bottom line.”
In what was arguably one of the team’s weakest outings so far, the Dodgers managed only one run and seven hits in a 2-1 defeat against the Miami Marlins. To make things worse, they left eight runners on base and only converted 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
The primary issue seemed to be their struggle to generate steady opportunities. This was partly due to Shohei Ohtani being pulled from the batting lineup, leaving the offense in a rough spot against a starting pitcher they could’ve focused on.
Roberts pointed out that “even without him in the lineup tonight, we should’ve won.”
It’s frustrating to think about the missed chances. In the first inning, the Dodgers loaded the bases, capitalizing on some errant pitches and a walk by Kyle Tucker.
Unfortunately, Max Muncy swung at the first pitch he saw and became overly aggressive, leading to missed opportunities. Teoscar Hernandez hit a fielder’s choice grounder but failed to capitalize further.
For the rest of the game, the Dodgers barely managed two hits and couldn’t push a runner past first base.
Still, the game remained within reach. Ohtani, despite not being at his best, pitched adequately, giving up just two runs in six innings. Roberts mentioned, “He didn’t seem completely in sync. But if he can get through six innings and keep it to two runs, we should win.”
But in the eighth inning, they let another chance slip away. After singles from Alex Freeland, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith, they finally managed to score. However, they squandered that opportunity just like before.
Tucker popped out, and Muncy rolled a pitch to end the inning.
When asked about the quality of his players’ at-bats, Roberts remarked, “They were overly aggressive, and I couldn’t hit my pitches. In either case… we just need the ball in the outfield. Hitting is tough, no doubt, but we have to strategize better.”
This inconsistency was an issue for the team last year, particularly in the second half of the season. Since July, their average with runners in scoring position has been a lackluster .251, placing them 19th in the majors. It got even worse in the playoffs, dropping to .204.
That’s why a strong performance in April felt so revitalizing, especially since they’d previously ranked seventh in the majors with a .277 average and fifth in OPS at .823.
Yet, the disappointment from Tuesday is hard to shake, bringing back memories of earlier setbacks.
“We overlooked these issues,” Roberts said, his tone sharper than before. “You have to strategize with men in scoring position.”
