Dodgers Entering Crux Of 2015

With it all on the line heading into the final chapter, the Dodgers must find a way to turn on the jets to keep up with the top-feeders while being sure to give enough chase to the San Francisco Giants.

The scary part of it all is that the Dodgers won’t be able to rely on a Wild Card berth to get into or go deep in this year’s playoffs.

Currently, Los Angeles holds a 2.5 game lead over the San Francisco Giants for first place in the always entertaining NL West.

The Dodgers also happen to be heading for a road trip this time of year.

As has been the case pretty much all of this season, there’s been no real home away from home for the Dodgers.

More from LA Sports Hub

• Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
• LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
• LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
• Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
• LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month

LA has proven steadfast at holding down the fort with a 42-20 home record, but become a cringe-worthy 25-31 away from the city of angels.

Or lack thereof.

And to make things even more up in the air, the Dodgers are riding a three-game winning streak but can’t hold their breath with that either.

Why?

The Giants are on a four-game victory streak of their own.

Los Angeles is about to embark on an eight-game road trip that involves the Oakland A’s, Houston Astros, and Cincinnati Reds.

While those three teams are not the kind of ball clubs you have to particularly be worried about this time of year (minus the Astros, but they’re in the AL), the Dodgers can’t let any of these games slip up.

If you looked at how the Dodgers played in their latest games against the Pittsburgh Pirates, it has to be concerning for fans to start to see the team at it’s knees.

Playing and winning tough on the road will have to complement immaculate home performances for the Dodgers to be a contending team late in the season and in the playoffs.

The Giants, for all they know, could go and win four more games with the Dodgers losing three and then boom — now they have to play catch up.

If nothing else, the very first two games of the road trip — both in Oakland — will provide us with the biggest takeaways from the road trip in its entirety.

The A’s have quickly gone from a furious, curious baseball team to a club that’s not much more than a joke in 2015.

Maybe that’ll change in the future, but the Dodgers could care less about Oakland — they’ve got their own woes to worry about.

If the road gaffes weren’t enough, a weak bullpen could doom the Dodgers unless it bulks up in the next couple of series.

Teams like the Pirates, Cardinals, Cubs, and Mets all know what it takes from the pitching perspective to get the job done.

Bottom Line: Change isn’t an option anymore.

It’d be a really good idea for the Dodgers to follow suit.

Because when it’s all said and done, nobody likes to lose the hard way.