The Los Angeles Dodgers have now lost 10 of their past 15 games, a concerning trend that has their manager, Dave Roberts, speaking out on the team's struggles.
Manager Dave Roberts called out his team both offensively and defensively on Sunday, Aug. 16 after the Dodgers lost three of four games to the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. "I say this because it's just been four or five, six weeks of below-average production in our offense,” Roberts said. “It's just the truth, and I think we just haven't played clean baseball for quite some time, and that speaks to the defense."
The Dodgers' offense has been particularly underwhelming, with Roberts pointing to a recent six-week stretch of below-average production. This has led to the team giving extra outs, causing pitches and affecting the defense's at-bats.
When asked which was more concerning, Roberts pointed to both the offense and defense. “I think both,” Roberts said. “Giving extra outs, which causes pitches and the guys are working with the defense and their at-bats, but I still think there’s certain intent offensively, but they both need to get better.”
The Dodgers have been struggling for some time, with a seven-game losing streak from July 31 to Aug. 7 and a 13-14 record since the All-Star break. Despite their experience, Roberts admitted he didn't have a single answer as to what will break the team out of this funk.
The team appeared to have turned things around this past week, sweeping the Kansas City Royals at home in a three-game series. However, that was quickly derailed by the Milwaukee Brewers, who came to town and won three out of four games, outscoring the Dodgers 16-10.
In the last two games against Milwaukee, the Dodgers' offense was held to just three runs on 11 hits and three walks. “I like to think they are all aware of it,” Roberts told reporters on Sunday. “They’ve done it in the past. We just need to reset offensively, and it just can't happen all at once. We just have to start building collectively.”
The Dodgers will have an opportunity to get back on track with a three-game series on the road against the Colorado Rockies.
Source: Yahoo Sports