Now that federal investigators say they have solved the problem Mystery of the missing millions, Shohei Ohtani can fully concentrate on baseball matters.
For example, if your team can actually win a World Series.
These Dodgers are what they were expected to be — up to a point. Including Ohtani, they have four of the best hitters in baseball. In Tyler Glasnowthey have a very good pitcher who could be great if he stays healthy.
These are not their concerns. Their problems lie in the previously neglected parts of the lineup.
They have an extremely heavy formation. They have an unreliable bullpen. They have an unstable defense.
These deficiencies are why they lost three of their five games against the San Diego Padres, including one 6-3 defeat on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium.
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The Dodgers faced another National League team that was in playoff contention last year, the Chicago Cubs, and were defeated by them twice in a three-game series earlier this month.
That’s not to say the Dodgers won’t win their division.
They should.
That’s not to say the Dodgers won’t win 100 games again.
They should be back in the groove to do that after their three-game series against the defeated Washington Nationals this week.
This is around October.
The Dodgers have a great roster, which is why they will defeat the other NL West teams during a 162-game regular season.
What is unknown is whether they are a great team, which is what they will need to be to win the 11 games needed to be crowned World Series champions. The first 18 games of the regular season raised questions.
“I would say right now there are more things that have gone wrong with our club than have gone right,” said coach Dave Roberts.
The Dodgers were in the midst of one of the most bizarre sports scandals in recent memory when Ohtani discovered that his former interpreter allegedly stole more than $16 million from him.
The bottom of the lineup has been unproductive, as the team’s Nos. 6, 7, 8 and 9 hitters entered Sunday with a combined .194 average, which was the fifth-worst in baseball. In the Padres’ Sunday loss, these spots in the lineup were filled by Teoscar Hernandez, James Outman, Kike Hernandez It is Gavin Lux. They combined for 0-for-13 with two walks.
The bullpen hasn’t been much better, as their relievers’ combined 4.64 earned run average ranked 22nd in baseball entering the series finale against the Padres.
See more information: Dodgers hope Bobby Miller doesn’t stay on the injured list for long
Reliever Brusdar Graterol entered the 60-day injured list with shoulder issues. Another prominent reliever, Blake Treinen, broke his ribs after being hit by a turnover in an exhibition game. Neither Graterol nor Treinen have pitched this season.
On the bright side, the Dodgers are 11-7.
“I think, to use a tennis analogy, we’re holding serve,” Roberts said.
Roberts highlighted the team’s improved defense, although the Padres tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning due to a throwing error by Betts, the former right fielder and second baseman who now plays shortstop.
“Saying where we are, whether it’s standings or winning or losing, is a good thing,” Roberts said. “That speaks to the guys in that room.”
Roberts backed players at the bottom of the order to eventually get it right, citing his track record. He’s right. They should. But if their recent playoff disappointments have taught the Dodgers anything, it’s that hitting regular-season pitching is not the same as hitting postseason pitching. Will the end of the lineup disappear again in October?
The bullpen’s deficiencies were magnified by the rotation problems. With a 3-0 record and a 2.25 earned run average, Glasnow looks like an ace. In his most recent start, he struck out 14 batters in seven scoreless innings. However, the Dodgers are still in the process of figuring out what they have in terms of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, James Paxton and Bobby Miller, who was placed on the injured list. Walker Buhler It is Clayton Kershaw should return to the team at some point, but both former All-Stars are returning from major operations and the team can’t be sure what they have in them.
If the Dodgers are forced to rely too much on their bullpen, they could once again find themselves in the position they were in on Sunday: with JP Feyereisen on the mound in the seventh inning of a tied game. Feyereisen, who didn’t pitch last year while recovering from a major shoulder operation, loaded the bases and gave up a three-run triple to Jurickson Profar.
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“It’s certainly not ideal,” Roberts said.
With Evan Phillips and Daniel Hudson unavailable tonight due to their recent workloads, what choice did the coach have?
The Dodgers can take solace in the reality that they have a home base like every other team in baseball. Betts is hitting .375 with six home runs. Ohtani is batting .338, Freeman .299 and Smith .371. They have something formidable to build on.
But the thing is, they still need to build. They need some players to play better. They need others to return from their injuries. They need to find external reinforcements at the trade deadline. Otherwise, this October will be similar to the previous ones. The elements for this are also present.
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This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.
