Los Angeles Dodgers: Is the Dodgers’ 2018 season over?
By Jamaal Artis
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a much different place today than the team was a year ago today and may miss out on the playoffs because of it.
The Los Angeles Dodgers season appears on the brink of collapse. After being swept by the St. Louis Cardinals in three games, the team finds itself 4.5 games in the NL West behind the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. In the wild-card race, the Dodgers are 3.5 games out trailing four teams.
With 34 games left you are seeing the “time panic” articles, I’m sure as various Dodgers bloggers seemed to indicate after Wednesday’s final out. This writer is here to tell you the time for panicking has passed, the truth is it’s probably over.
Even before they play the lowly Padres starting Friday there is very little to indicate the turnaround will come.
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August Blues
We can show you the small sample sizes as evidence. The Dodgers 8-12 in August after having the best record in the majors after May going 33-19. They have blown 8 out of 9 losses after the seventh inning.
It’s not just the bullpen either, the offense is colder than waters of Lake Minnetonka in winter, the team has scored 3 or fewer runs in 7 of their last 9 losses. In the Cardinals series, the Dodgers went 3 for 23 with runners in scoring position (RISP) while leaving 30 men on base.
These kinds of numbers aren’t just a microcosm of a season but it’s encompassed the entire season.
Bad at Bats
The Dodgers are a bottom five team in the league when it comes to leaving runners in scoring position, and bottom ten in average with RISP. So it’s not just an August phenomenon it has been a problem all season long.
It gets worst when there are two outs and RISP, the team is hitting .201 in this situation dead last in the National League only the last place Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers have done worst so far.
Bad Bullpen
Even before they lost their all-time great closer, the Dodgers bullpen wasn’t that good. Losing Kenley Jansen just magnified how bad it really was. The Dodgers have blown more saves (24 )than any team in baseball except for the San Francisco Giants and are bottom ten team when it comes to save percentage (61.9%)
Getting Jansen back didn’t help matters as he gave up the winning runs in non-save situations in both games 1 and 3 of the series sweep. The fact of the matter is having a one-man bullpen has hurt the Dodgers all year not just recently.
Bad Home Cooking
A year after having the best record at home with 57 wins, the Los Angeles Dodgers now find themselves a game below .500 at home. They have 16 games left to turn that around but it’s not likely if they don’t fix their home problems.
The Dodgers are a bottom 4 team when it comes to batting average (.237), and bottom 10 when it comes to runs batted in (887). So even if the Dodgers get on base they aren’t driving them, Dodger Stadium has become a house of horrors when it comes to the Dodgers offense.
Related Story. Top 10 teams in Dodgers' history. light
Is it Over?
Unfortunately, without a dramatic comeback or some startling turnarounds by individuals, the Los Angeles Dodgers might be looking at their first October vacation since 2012. You can hold out hope Dodger fans but evidence suggests that yes, it’s over.