One of MLB’s most dominant powerhouses, the Los Angeles Dodgers, find themselves mired in their worst losing streak in five years, a stunning collapse that has rocked the franchise. With a record that still keeps them at the top of the National League West Division (56-37), the five-game losing streak has set alarm bells ringing, and their star player, Shohei Ohtani, has not hesitated to point out the problem with a frankness that resonates throughout the team.
The team’s decline has been abrupt and painful. First, they succumbed in a three-game sweep to the Houston Astros, with resounding scores such as an 18-1 that included ten runs in a single inning, a 6-4 and a 5-1. The nightmare continued in Milwaukee, where the Milwaukee Brewers dealt them 9-1 and 3-1 defeats. In this five-game span, the Dodgers have been outscored by an overwhelming 41-8 margin, recording their worst four-game run differential since 1932.
Shohei Ohtani’s self-criticism
In the midst of this turbulent scenario, Shohei Ohtani, who despite the debacle has had individual flashes such as two scoreless innings or an initial home run, spoke to SportsNet LA and offered a straightforward diagnosis of the situation.
“I want to give credit to the opposing team… very good pitching in the last few days. But at the same time, even if we don’t get hits, there are ways to score runs, including myself. We have to do a better job of scoring when there are opportunities to do so,” explained the Japanese player.
Dave Roberts does not hide
Although injuries have played a significant role, with key players such as Max Muncy and Kike Hernandez on the injured list and Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez also dealing with physical problems, manager Dave Roberts refuses to use it as an excuse.
“I don’t think there’s a team in baseball that’s at full strength. I just feel like with the guys we have, we have to play better. We have to pitch better, we have to defend better, we have to have more competitive at-bats. And we’re just not doing any of those things right now,” explained the manager, who was frustrated by the current situation but confident they can turn things around.
Read the full article here
