The Los Angeles Dodgers are last in the entire National League when it comes to runs scored since July 1, a brutal statistic for a club hoping to three-peat. As August wraps up and September begins, the Dodgers are desperate to turn things around, especially after a dismal 13-14 record this past month. This isn’t a new problem either, it’s the third straight year this team has hit a rough patch like this, leading Bill Plunkett of the OC Register to suggest it’s more of a pattern than an anomaly. This season, though, it feels especially bad.
Are We Asking Too Much? The Age-Old Question
With the Dodgers’ position players having the highest average age in the league, Plunkett’s asking if fans are expecting too much from this veteran lineup. But first baseman Freddie Freeman isn’t having any of it. “No. I don’t think you can expect too much of us. And we like that. We like that you think we should be scoring more,” Freeman said, adding, “If you were content with us scoring three, four runs then we wouldn’t have a very good offense. I’m okay with you guys expecting more out of us. We expect more out of ourselves.” That’s the fire you want to hear from a leader, right? He knows they need to be better.
Mookie Betts Hits You With A Dose of Reality
Then there’s Mookie Betts, who sees things a little differently. He thinks maybe fans *do* expect too much, believing the Dodgers should always hit like they used to, or be able to blast any pitcher. Betts points to a huge shift in the game: “That was when guys were throwing 92, 93 when we did that. And we were younger, yes.” He might be exaggerating a bit on how fast velocity has jumped, but his point is clear: “I don’t care who you are. You can be Shohei or anybody, the best player in the league. You’re not hitting 100 (mph) consistently every day. Nobody is doing that. We’re facing 97, 98 every day. Then the guys who are 92, 93, there’s something to it. Sometimes we hit it. Sometimes we don’t. That’s part of the human element of the game. But I think that part is getting missed. Y’all expect us to score six or seven (runs) every day, you know what I’m saying?” It’s a tough truth, but facing heat like that day in and day out is brutal.
If the Dodgers want that coveted third ring in a row, the offense just has to start clicking. Their pitching has been phenomenal, as always, and that’s the only thing keeping them in it. But the offense is the singular roadblock to another World Series title. And we all know hitting gets even harder in the postseason, right? It’s going to be a nail-biter to see if they can just eke their way to another championship.
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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