Sunday delivered a gut punch to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even with baseball’s second-highest payroll and their last two World Series titles, they just dropped Game 2 of the NLDS to the Atlanta Braves, 3-2.
“Heaven and Hell” Is the New Normal For These Dodgers
Infielder Miguel Rojas didn’t mince words after the loss. “People think because we have a really good team, it should be easy. In baseball, nothing is easy,” he told reporters. He knows what’s up: “If we’re going to do this, we’re going to have to go through heaven and hell.” The Braves pulled off yet another bullpen game masterclass in Game 2, with unlikely heroes Ray Kerr and Didier Fuentes stepping up big time. They basically shut down that super-powered L.A. lineup. This ain’t no cakewalk, even for a team with that kind of cash and talent.
That Ohtani Slump Is Real, And Muncy Knows The Grind
And speaking of that super-powered lineup, Shohei Ohtani is seriously stuck in a rut. He’s gone his last 20 games without a single homer. That’s a huge stat to chew on right now for a guy like him. Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy echoed the sentiment, saying, “I’ve been saying this for a long time now: I don’t think people truly appreciate how hard it is to make a deep postseason run year in and year out.” He knows the wear and tear, how teams can just be “hurt” or “worn out” the next year. Muncy summed it up: “The Division Series is obviously not as much of a sprint as the Wild Card. But it’s a sprint. It’s five games. It’s short. They’re really, really tough to play.” Yeah, sounds like hard mode is definitely activated.
Now the Dodgers have to stare down ace Chris Sale in Game 3. And guess what? That game is back in Atlanta. This series is officially a battle.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
Leave a Reply