The Los Angeles Dodgers are a real head-scratcher right now, managing to win five of seven games on this road trip, yet twice they barely scratched across two runs in those victories. It’s like watching a magic trick, because their offense in July? It has been absolutely brutal, seriously dragging down what should be a dominant team. They are limping to the finish line of this trip against the Mets at Citi Field, with two games left this weekend.
The Batting Order Is A Ghost Town
Seriously, what in the world is going on with the lineup? This month has been a desert for their bats, especially from the corner outfield spots. Teoscar Hernández has just eight hits, looking lost at the plate with a measly .145/.217/.236 slash line across 60 plate appearances. And Alex Call, stepping in, has one lonely hit and two walks in 12 at-bats. Even Kyle Tucker, who finally got his first home run in four weeks on Friday and helped them get a cushion in that series opener, is only batting .246/.323/.333 for July. As a team, they’ve scored only 17 runs in 18 games this month. You gotta be kidding me! They’ve put up three runs or fewer in 10 of those 18 games, and two runs or fewer in six of them. Their overall team line for July sits at a miserable .236/.311/.382, and their 90 wRC+ ranks a shocking 23rd in the entire majors. This is not the Dodgers we know.
Ohtani Can’t Do It All, But Muncy Is Moving Up
Look, even the big guns are struggling, although some are still finding ways to contribute. Shohei Ohtani leads the team with four home runs this month, with one two-run shot and three solo blasts to kick off games. But even he is hitting just .239/.297/.463. Max Muncy, however, is having a milestone July, launching three home runs. That pushed him past Ron Cey for fifth place in franchise history, now with 229 dingers. Beyond those two, nobody else on the team has more than two homers in July. Tommy Edman is somehow leading the team with an .846 OPS this month, and he’s responsible for both of the team’s sacrifice bunts. Muncy is the only other player with an OPS starting with an eight, at .843, with Freddie Freeman (.799) and Dalton Rushing (.798) just shy.
Pitching Powers Through As Division Lead Holds Steady
So, how are they still 10-8 in July with that kind of offensive futility? Their pitching staff is practically carrying them. It’s wild. Despite the offensive slump, their division lead, which was 12 games up at the start of the month, is now 11 games over second-place Arizona. It’s “just as secure.” And thank goodness for ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who takes the mound on Saturday. The guy is coming off a complete-game win last Sunday at Yankee Stadium and leads the majors averaging 6.65 innings per start. Against the Mets, he’s got a 3.00 ERA in 18 career innings, with 24 strikeouts and only two walks. They’ll be facing Mets rookie Nolan McLean, who’s allowed only 12 earned runs in his last nine starts and has gone at least six innings in his last six. Can Yamamoto keep this unlikely winning streak going and keep that division lead untouched? You better believe the pitching will have to. It’s all happening at Citi Field, 4:15 p.m. PT.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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