First Pitch: What’s wrong with the Los Angeles Dodgers?

The Dodgers, losers of their last five series, are victims of a nasty World Series hangover that’s forcing the pound-for-pound best team in baseball to question their status as National League elites.

The Dodgers are only one game above the .500 marker and sit solidly in third place in the NL West as we near the first-quarter pole of the MLB season. Find a baseball pundit who correctly predicted THAT, and they can have my job.

“World Series hangover” is a simplistic viewpoint on the matter, but the Dodgers did far worse than mixing beer and liquor, becoming ever-sicker despite adding the reigning National League Cy Young winner to an already-stacked unit. Somehow, someway, this group is not fully gelling even with the overwhelming talent on the roster.

So, what’s the reason? Is there a reason?

Los Angeles are 5-15 over their last 20 games. Let’s debunk some theories.

Despite leaving the most runners on base by a large margin this season, the Dodgers also rank sixth in the NL in batting average with runners in scoring position. How can that be? L.A.’s offense is so elite that they consistently put runners on, and while they knock in a few, it’s virtually impossible to do so infinitely, or else we’d still be watching a Dodgers-Padres marathon that started in mid-April.

The Los Angeles Times’ Houston Mitchell explains this theory quite well, as the ’76 Cincinnati Reds, otherwise known as the ‘Big Red Machine’, hold the league record for runners left on base with 1,328. Stranding baserunners doesn’t always equal losing baseball, and the Dodgers are a key example of this.

While they’ve been quite vocal on the subject (we’ll get to that), Los Angeles’ starting pitching is not responsible for the team’s ultimate demise. In the rotation, only Walker Buehler has an ERA over 4.00 during the Dodgers’ 20-game stretch, coming in at 4.19.

Dave Roberts’ is preaching patience, but Bauer and Clayton Kershaw aren’t taking this losing lightly.

“I’m pissed, personally,” Dodgers starter Trevor Bauer said on Sunday afternoon per ESPN. “I freakin’ hate losing. I wanna win. That’s why I came here. We are not playing up to our capability right now.”

Kershaw’s approach was a little more measured:

“It doesn’t do anyone any good to think, ‘Oh, it’s a long season, it’s 162 games, and we’ll figure it out — we’re too good not to.’ In my opinion, you figure it out right now. Don’t wait. Don’t get complacent with it. Last season taught us that a little bit. For me, personally, every game matters, whether it’s May or September. All the wins count the same.”

Both are correct, and while it’s Roberts’ job to avoid panic in the clubhouse, it’s the players who must find a way to turn the proverbial ship around before it sinks entirely. We’re a long ways away from any such metaphorical disaster, and reinforcements are on the way.

Every team can play the injury blame game, especially coming off a bizarre Rob Manfred 60-game experiment in 2020, but the Dodgers have been especially impacted. As of this writing, all of Cody Bellinger, Zach McKinstry, Edwin Rios, Tony Gonsolin, Corey Knebel, David Price and Brusdar Graterol are on the injured list. Oh, and Dustin May is getting Tommy John surgery.

You’ll notice the number of bullpen options at Roberts’ disposal has dramatically decreased of late.

The Dodgers used every type of alcohol imaginable, creating a World Series hangover that — while not entirely of their own doing — perhaps puts things in perspective for the likely favorites come October.

How can the Dodgers break out of their early-season slump?

The Dodgers have plenty to blame, and therefore plenty to fix, before they can put this 5-15 slump behind them.

To get a better perspective on the Dodgers’ mindset, we spoke with Dodgers Way site expert Adam Weinrib on overreaction Tuesday.

1. Is there any one stat, or factor, you can point to that identifies what the hell is going on in Los Angeles? I’ve heard injuries, hitting with RISP, bullpen woes, World Series hangover, etc. Feel free to add to the bunch! 

Adam Weinrib: If only there was a quantifiable way to measure “World Series Hangover”. Maybe the Dodgers should all blow into one big, 25-man breathalyzer? Unfortunately, the team’s bullpen injuries (David Price, Corey Knebel, Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol, the fallout from the Dustin May injury) seem to be the biggest factor and something Los Angeles can’t seem to find a way to account for. When May went down early, for example, Roberts pitched all of his available relievers exactly one inning. Mitch White and Alex Vesia were forced to pitch the game’s biggest innings. The Dodgers lost three games in the first week of May where they were one out away from victory. RISP stats will eventually bounce back, but those losses can’t be recaptured.

2. Dave Roberts is preaching patience, while Clayton Kershaw and Trevor Bauer’s comments suggest urgency. What’s the right approach for this team?

AW: A little bit of urgency is good, right? Of course, everyone expects the Dodgers to eventually round into form, both players and oddsmakers alike, but I’d prefer to see fire and desire from veterans like Kershaw and a newcomer like Bauer — even though the struggles obviously aren’t all on them and the rotation has largely shown up. There’s no need for the Dodgers to be pressing, but there’s nothing wrong with a little fire.

3. Is it time to measure our expectations for the Dodgers? And I’m not just talking World Series favorites, I mean record-setting regular season production. Is that unrealistic?

AW: It seems unfair to expect a record-setting regular season right now, yes, but as you said, this team’s ceiling places the Dodgers among those that could be the last men standing this fall. It’s worth remembering a similar stretch in 2017, when Los Angeles finished with 104 wins and posted an insane 20-3 month of July…only to drop 16 of 17 in August/September, punctuated by an 11-game losing streak. It was one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen. Still is. Everything went wrong. Most of those games were offensive shutdowns and pitching staff bludgeonings. That team still came within shouting distance of a record win total and made Game 7 of the World Series, though.

4. Are there any obvious roster moves, either via the minors or lineup/staff changes that could perhaps jumpstart a team of such prominence? Or do they need to figure this out on their own?

AW: Steve Garvey isn’t walking through that door. There are a few bullpen levers left to pull on the 40-man roster who are hanging out at Double-A Tulsa (Andre Jackson and Gerardo Carrillo), but those don’t seem to be obvious fixes. For now, this is the group of guys that’s going to work their way out of this, and ideally Joe Kelly’s comeback and Tony Gonsolin’s rotation return help settle down the ‘pen innings a little (Kenley Jansen’s been out of his mind this whole time, FWIW). Both sides of the ball should rebound, and when they do, it’s going to be this group that’s responsible for the turnaround. Trading for Ian Kennedy could be sweet too, though.

Do the Los Angeles Dodgers need fixing?

That much isn’t as clear.

It’s classic early-season media overreaction to declare the Dodgers a problem, just like when we decided they were problem-proof before Opening Day. While I agree with the player mindset that, essentially, this team will be truly ‘fixed’ on their watch, Roberts said it best after the Dodgers’ loss to the Angels on Sunday:

“I know we still have a lot of good players, and we’re gonna win baseball games. But to have our hair on fire for 162, I think that is hard. Our guys understand it is a marathon. I don’t like how we got to .500 the last couple of weeks, but we are where we’re at, and we have to get better.”

The Dodgers aren’t complacent, which is an even scarier thought than any early-season funk. L.A. finally took home the ultimate prize, even if it took a wonky season in the middle of a pandemic. It counts, and they’re right to be as confident as Roberts makes them out to be.

“We’re gonna be at the top of this division,” Roberts said, while reiterating that he hasn’t even looked at the standings despite the Dodgers currently sitting in third place. “I have no doubt in my mind.”

He’d be crazy to think anything else.