Dodgers News: Miguel Rojas Feels Embarrassed by Dodgers’ Recent Play
It's not just the fans that have felt embarrassed over the Dodgers recent 1-5 skid, veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas also feels the same...
BALTIMORE, MA—After salvaging the series finale at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, avoiding a sweep at the hands of their National League West foe, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Los Angeles Dodgers had hoped to do the same in Pittsburgh.
However, that did not happen as the Dodgers would be dominated by National League Cy Young Award-winning favorite, right-hander Paul Skenes, who tossed six shutout innings in the Pirates ’ eventual 5-3 win on Thursday.
It was the fourth loss in five games for Los Angeles, sparking a wave of fan panic and frustration — a sentiment also shared by veteran infielder Miguel Rojas, who vented his frustrations postgame.
“We’ve been playing poorly for over two months. We all know that. It’s frustrating, it’s embarrassing. I feel like as a team we know what we’re capable of.”
The Dodgers have just twenty-two games remaining of the regular season. While they hold a two-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West (three games technically since LA has the tiebreaker), they’re two games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the number two seed, which would guarantee them a first-round bye.
While the talk around the team, particularly Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, is “flipping a switch” for the final stretch of the season, it’s more complicated than that, with Roberts attributing the struggles to a lack of focus.
What is making it more frustrating for the team and their fans is that the Dodgers have dropped most of these games to teams below .500 on the season, an area where they should take advantage of.
The Dodgers still have the fifth-easiest strength of schedule remaining, but are still projected to finish with just ninety-one wins via FanGraphs, a game lower than the Phillies.
While the Dodgers have failed to play up to their capabilities this season, the talent on the roster is undeniable, and Rojas believes they’ll be a tough team to beat in the playoffs.
“I know the record is not there for us, but we’re still in first place,” he said. “Not playing the best baseball we can play, we’re still in first place, and I think we’re going to be pretty dangerous in the playoffs.”
The Dodgers will kick off a three-game set versus the Baltimore Orioles today at Camden Yards and will look to head back home with a series victory; if not, it’s not going to be a happy flight back.
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