Dodgers News: Roberts Challenges Dodgers to be Better

PITTSBURGH, PA—While the Los Angeles Dodgers are well on their way to yet another postseason berth, extending their streak that dates back to 2013, it has not been the dazzling summer fans across baseball imagined. 

After breaking the bank again this winter, bringing in multiple key players such as Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and Blake Snell, along with re-signing key players from their 2024 World Series Champion roster like Teoscar Hernández, not all has gone according to plan in Dodger Land.

What was once a nine-game lead in the National League West in early July is not just a 2.5, and with the Dodgers going a combined 25-27 since July 1st, the nineteenth best record in that stretch, the team is now just clinging to the third seed in the NL, behind the Philadelphia Phillies.

Whether it’s been the injury-riddled starting rotation, an inconsistent backend of the bullpen, or a boom or bust offense, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has had enough of the trouble and, with less than thirty games remaining, is calling on his players to play better.

It’s not the first time Roberts has publicly criticized his team regarding their focus on offense, pitching, or defense, and after back-to-back losses to a division rival who is out of postseason contention, that bad blood was brought to its boiling point.

“I do think a switch can be flipped,” Roberts explained. “But it doesn’t feel good saying that, because I think there’s a certain way you go about things, and each day should be equally important.

“Every little play, pitch, should be equally important. How you do anything is how you do everything, that adage, I believe in that.

“Again, when you’re playing a long season, it’s hard to be that locked in every single pitch. But I’m not going to not try to ask our guys to do that.”

Roberts is uncertain about how much longer the Dodgers can wait to make a change but is looking for greater awareness from his players.

“Whatever it is, we’ve got to do it right now,” Roberts said before Sunday’s series finale. “We’ve got to win today, we’ve got to play better baseball, we’ve got to play more focused baseball, and then let the chips fall where they may.

“There’s more in there. There just is.”

What is more alarming is that the Dodgers’ struggles have primarily come against teams with a losing record, a trend of teams they’ve seen having one of the easiest strength of schedule remaining.

Before the start of their three-game road series in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles was just 7-10 against sub-.500 teams and 11-4 against opponents with a winning record since July 28th.

“I mean, you’re just losing your edge,” Roberts opined of the difference in records. “I don’t like the playing your competition type thing, but it’s like we’re not getting up for teams that we should be. We should be getting up for everyone, regardless of record.

Roberts later continued that there is no excuse for the Dodgers to take advantage of what is in front of them regarding the lack of quality in their opponents.

Furthermore, it’s a stat that must change, especially over the next two weeks, with Los Angeles set to face four teams (twelve games) that are at or below .500 this season.

This sentiment has yet to get on track as the Dodgers dropped Game One in Pittsburgh, a day when their best pitcher in August, Clayton Kershaw, allowed four runs in the first inning.

While the offense was able to battle back, scoring seven runs throughout the game, the bullpen allowed five more runs in the final three innings.

It remains to be seen what the Dodgers will do, but one thing is for certain: they need to flip that switch and fast.

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