Dodgers Struggle in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed optimism on Friday before starting a six-game road trip, saying he felt “good” about the team’s struggling offense.
“Ironically, this path was better for us,” he noted, but that sentiment quickly faded by the end of the night.
The Dodgers faced their first three-game losing streak of the season after a tough 7-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, managing only five hits against a Cardinals pitching lineup that ranked near the bottom in the league for ERA.
The Dodgers (20-12) have now gone four consecutive games without a home run, marking their longest drought since June 2023. They had opportunities with runners on base but failed to capitalize, leaving eight players stranded and going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
Although they kicked off with an RBI double from Max Muncy in the first and second innings, they only managed one more run and did not record any extra-base hits until Kim Hye-sung’s double with two outs in the ninth.
Things got off to a rough start when the Cardinals (19-13) jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Emmett Sheehan.
This recent slide is becoming concerning for a team that has invested over $1 billion in their batting lineup. They’ve gone 5-8 in their last 13 games, managing to score at least five runs only five times in that stretch.
Roberts called on his players to “get a grip on our zone, come up with a plan and execute,” but another uninspired performance followed.
A major issue lately has been the lack of power in the Dodgers’ batting. Early in the season, they hit 42 home runs and had a slugging percentage of .507 over the first 22 games, both leading the league. Since then, they’ve only hit three home runs in their last 10 games, with a slugging percentage of .306, the worst in the majors during that time.
As for who stood out, right now, it seems anyone facing the Dodgers has an advantage, including Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore, who entered the game with a 4.75 ERA. He pitched effectively against the Dodgers, managing to finish 5 2/3 innings with a two-run outing.
After Muncy’s early double, the Dodgers missed a chance to score in the third inning, and even with the bases loaded in the sixth, all they could manage was a sacrifice fly from Tucker.
By the end of the night, Shohei Ohtani struggled too, going 0-for-5, while Freddie Freeman was the only player with multiple hits. The team collectively scored just five runs during their losing streak.
On the pitching side, Emmett Sheehan thought he had corrected some issues with his velocity, yet it seemed to worsen on Friday. He averaged a season-low of 93.4 mph on his fastball and allowed a two-run home run, struggling to find consistency.
Despite striking out eight in just 4 2/3 innings, he gave up four runs and faced additional setbacks, like a balk and allowing another solo home run.
As the Dodgers consider roster changes ahead of Blake Snell’s return, Sheehan’s declining velocity is certainly a worry, especially since his overall ERA is still sitting at 5.23.
Looking ahead, Aki Sasaki will take the mound on Saturday, also fighting for a rotation spot. He aims to improve on his 1-2 record and a 6.35 ERA as Michael McGreevey (1-2, 2.97 ERA) heads to St. Louis.
