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WASHINGTON, D.C. — A sense of quiet relief percolated through the Dodgers’ clubhouse early Wednesday evening.
That collective exhale, and the prospect of a happy flight home, was made possible by the tension that preceded it. Down a run late to an inferior Washington Nationals team, baseball’s fully-loaded juggernaut looked in serious danger of suffering an embarrassing sweep. Two losses on two ruthlessly cold nights in the nation’s capital at the end of a week-long East Coast swing had L.A. looking ragged.
But the Dodgers, as they so often do, came clawing back in the late afternoon gleam. A two-run seventh provided a one-run lead, a lead L.A.’s bullpen preserved en route to a reinvigorating 6-5 win. A defensive miscue in the ninth opened the door for a Nats comeback, but a magnificent diving play from Kikè Hernandéz kept the slight edge intact.
It marked the end of a 2-4 road trip that could, at best, be described as uninspired. The Dodgers scraped out a single win in both Philadelphia and D.C., looking far from the dominant, inevitable force that rushed out to a franchise-best 8-0 start. Even the victories were sloppy. Accordingly, the atmosphere in the room Wednesday was far from celebratory.
Very little that happens in April will impact what matters in October, once the weather gets cold again and the games have heft. In the long run, this loaded Dodgers team will be more than OK. But viewed through a critical lens, L.A.’s uneven, six-game stretch spotlights a few areas for genuine concern.
When two-time Cy Young Blake Snell hit the IL on Sunday, that meant the Dodgers needed a fill-in arm for Tuesday’s game. That spot starter, Justin Wrobleski, was pulverized by the Nats for eight runs across five innings. Wrobleski was then promptly sent back to Triple-A, swapped out for right-hander Landon Knack, who started Wednesday because the Dodgers are limiting both Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki to one start per week. Knack surrendered five runs while managing to secure just seven outs. Only a stellar, scoreless, 6⅔ performance from L.A.’s bullpen ensured a win in the finale.
Altogether, Dodger starters had a putrid 7.01 ERA on the trip, a sign that the club’s vaunted staff will struggle across some small-sample stretches. Reinforcements will come eventually; the injured quartet of Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw, Emmett Sheehan and Tony Gonsolin are all expected back at some point. Snell also received good news on his ailing shoulder — he’ll abstain from throwing until Monday — but a longer stint on the shelf remains in play. Bobby Miller, who was sensational in 2023 and abysmal in ‘24, is another option.
Skipper Dave Roberts classified Knack’s and Wrobleski’s struggles as outliers after Wednesday’s game, but the duo did not exactly inspire confidence this time through the rotation. And while the 2024 Dodgers famously overcame an avalanche of arm injuries to raise a trophy in glorious fashion, the team’s pitching depth remains something to monitor as this season inches along.
Not having a future Hall of Famer, World Series MVP, all-world slugger, etc., available for the entire road trip was an obvious hindrance. Freeman, who reaggravated his surgically repaired ankle while slipping in the shower last week, hasn’t played since March 29 but is expected back when the Dodgers return home on Friday.
His absence pushed L.A.’s lineup from “awe-inspiring” to “extremely good” and forced Kiké Hernández’s below-average bat into the every-day lineup. Without Freeman hitting in the three hole right behind Mookie Betts, every other hitter moved up a slot, more or less, weakening the entire order.
Freeman, who turns 36 in September, battled through a bevy of ailments, including a sprained ankle and a broken rib, during L.A.’s World Series run. The rib issue resurfaced during the club’s March trip to Tokyo, with Freeman a late scratch for Game 1 and a DNP for Game 2. This time, a freak accident at home pushed him onto the shelf. Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts downplayed the severity of Freeman’s current predicament, and there’s a chance Freeman, long one of the game’s more durable figures, stays healthy for the remainder of the season. But given his advanced age, each additional trip to the IL ups the overall level of worry.
Here lies the most lasting and, potentially, most damning area of concern. On Monday, the Dodgers made two errors in the second inning, leading to a pair of Washington runs. On Wednesday, a miscommunication on a fly ball in the ninth gave the Nationals a window to make a comeback. The sample size on advanced defensive metrics remains small, but in the early going, the Dodgers grade out below average across the board.
That tracks with the eye test. Freeman, at first base, might be the only truly excellent defender on the diamond. Behind the dish, Will Smith remains a strong thrower, but his framing numbers took a tumble in 2024. Mookie Betts’ move to shortstop is admirable, but he’s squarely in the bottom half of shortstops in terms of glove. Max Muncy is better than you think at the hot corner, but it’s still average at best over there.
And the outfield, at least so far, has been a treacherous situation. Neither Teoscar Hernández nor Michael Conforto has good range in the corners, and Andy Pages has struggled with routes in center. Tommy Edman’s defensive versatility is a humungous boon, and he’s a good defender whether in the dirt or the grass, but he can’t play everywhere at once.
The Dodgers won a World Series last season with pretty much this same group. They might well slug enough to overcome their fielding inadequacies and play crisp ball at the right times, as was the case in 2024.
But if you’re looking for an Achilles’ heel, this is it.
Continue reading...
That collective exhale, and the prospect of a happy flight home, was made possible by the tension that preceded it. Down a run late to an inferior Washington Nationals team, baseball’s fully-loaded juggernaut looked in serious danger of suffering an embarrassing sweep. Two losses on two ruthlessly cold nights in the nation’s capital at the end of a week-long East Coast swing had L.A. looking ragged.
But the Dodgers, as they so often do, came clawing back in the late afternoon gleam. A two-run seventh provided a one-run lead, a lead L.A.’s bullpen preserved en route to a reinvigorating 6-5 win. A defensive miscue in the ninth opened the door for a Nats comeback, but a magnificent diving play from Kikè Hernandéz kept the slight edge intact.
It marked the end of a 2-4 road trip that could, at best, be described as uninspired. The Dodgers scraped out a single win in both Philadelphia and D.C., looking far from the dominant, inevitable force that rushed out to a franchise-best 8-0 start. Even the victories were sloppy. Accordingly, the atmosphere in the room Wednesday was far from celebratory.
Very little that happens in April will impact what matters in October, once the weather gets cold again and the games have heft. In the long run, this loaded Dodgers team will be more than OK. But viewed through a critical lens, L.A.’s uneven, six-game stretch spotlights a few areas for genuine concern.
Subpar starting pitching
When two-time Cy Young Blake Snell hit the IL on Sunday, that meant the Dodgers needed a fill-in arm for Tuesday’s game. That spot starter, Justin Wrobleski, was pulverized by the Nats for eight runs across five innings. Wrobleski was then promptly sent back to Triple-A, swapped out for right-hander Landon Knack, who started Wednesday because the Dodgers are limiting both Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki to one start per week. Knack surrendered five runs while managing to secure just seven outs. Only a stellar, scoreless, 6⅔ performance from L.A.’s bullpen ensured a win in the finale.
Altogether, Dodger starters had a putrid 7.01 ERA on the trip, a sign that the club’s vaunted staff will struggle across some small-sample stretches. Reinforcements will come eventually; the injured quartet of Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw, Emmett Sheehan and Tony Gonsolin are all expected back at some point. Snell also received good news on his ailing shoulder — he’ll abstain from throwing until Monday — but a longer stint on the shelf remains in play. Bobby Miller, who was sensational in 2023 and abysmal in ‘24, is another option.
Skipper Dave Roberts classified Knack’s and Wrobleski’s struggles as outliers after Wednesday’s game, but the duo did not exactly inspire confidence this time through the rotation. And while the 2024 Dodgers famously overcame an avalanche of arm injuries to raise a trophy in glorious fashion, the team’s pitching depth remains something to monitor as this season inches along.
No Freddie Freeman
Not having a future Hall of Famer, World Series MVP, all-world slugger, etc., available for the entire road trip was an obvious hindrance. Freeman, who reaggravated his surgically repaired ankle while slipping in the shower last week, hasn’t played since March 29 but is expected back when the Dodgers return home on Friday.
His absence pushed L.A.’s lineup from “awe-inspiring” to “extremely good” and forced Kiké Hernández’s below-average bat into the every-day lineup. Without Freeman hitting in the three hole right behind Mookie Betts, every other hitter moved up a slot, more or less, weakening the entire order.
Freeman, who turns 36 in September, battled through a bevy of ailments, including a sprained ankle and a broken rib, during L.A.’s World Series run. The rib issue resurfaced during the club’s March trip to Tokyo, with Freeman a late scratch for Game 1 and a DNP for Game 2. This time, a freak accident at home pushed him onto the shelf. Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts downplayed the severity of Freeman’s current predicament, and there’s a chance Freeman, long one of the game’s more durable figures, stays healthy for the remainder of the season. But given his advanced age, each additional trip to the IL ups the overall level of worry.
Bad defense
Here lies the most lasting and, potentially, most damning area of concern. On Monday, the Dodgers made two errors in the second inning, leading to a pair of Washington runs. On Wednesday, a miscommunication on a fly ball in the ninth gave the Nationals a window to make a comeback. The sample size on advanced defensive metrics remains small, but in the early going, the Dodgers grade out below average across the board.
That tracks with the eye test. Freeman, at first base, might be the only truly excellent defender on the diamond. Behind the dish, Will Smith remains a strong thrower, but his framing numbers took a tumble in 2024. Mookie Betts’ move to shortstop is admirable, but he’s squarely in the bottom half of shortstops in terms of glove. Max Muncy is better than you think at the hot corner, but it’s still average at best over there.
And the outfield, at least so far, has been a treacherous situation. Neither Teoscar Hernández nor Michael Conforto has good range in the corners, and Andy Pages has struggled with routes in center. Tommy Edman’s defensive versatility is a humungous boon, and he’s a good defender whether in the dirt or the grass, but he can’t play everywhere at once.
The Dodgers won a World Series last season with pretty much this same group. They might well slug enough to overcome their fielding inadequacies and play crisp ball at the right times, as was the case in 2024.
But if you’re looking for an Achilles’ heel, this is it.
Continue reading...
