The Los Angeles Dodgers' offensive struggles persisted Sunday in a 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, marking their eighth defeat in the last nine games. This latest setback came after the team had snapped a season-worst seven-game losing streak the previous day.
Manager Dave Roberts expressed frustration with his team's inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities, as they were limited to six hits and two runs over seven innings by Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez. Over the three-game series in Arizona, the Dodgers scored a total of seven runs, a significant drop from their season average of five runs per game, which has fallen to 3.2 over their last nine contests.
"I think this series it was very clear that we weren’t hitting the fastball, and we were exposing ourselves to the changeup with the secondary specifically," Roberts said. He added that the team needs to make adjustments, noting, "we’re just not making adjustments."
Despite the team's current slump, Roberts maintained a level of confidence. "We’ve still got a really good ballclub," he stated. "There’s certainly [no] panic."
However, the urgency for improved offensive output is evident. Following a narrow 2-1 victory on Saturday, Roberts emphasized the difficulty of winning when games are decided by small margins, stating, "It’s not like guys aren’t trying, but it’s a tough way to pitch when you have to be perfect. We’re just better than this. As we always say, it’s not a try league. We gotta get it done."
The Dodgers' tendency to ground into double plays also remains a concern. Freddie Freeman grounded into a double play in the eighth inning with the team trailing by two runs, contributing to the club's major league-leading 99 double plays this season. Freeman acknowledged the team is enduring a difficult period but expressed optimism, saying, "It’s baseball, ups and downs. We’re just going through it. No one’s worried here."
The Dodgers are set to host the Kansas City Royals for their next series, featuring matchups against former Cy Young Award winners Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell. However, the effectiveness of their pitching may be overshadowed if the offense does not show significant improvement.