SAN FRANCISCO – For all the justifiable concerns about the state of their pitching staff with Walker Buehler sidelined by a flexor strain, something else was bothering Dave Roberts before Sunday’s game at Oracle Park.
“It’s getting more clear that we’re not doing enough to win baseball games,” Roberts said.
“We need to win more baseball games and we haven’t. It doesn’t feel good to lose.”
The Dodgers had lost eight of 12 games before Sunday.
“People get caught up in their own individual paths,” Roberts said. “But the whole kind of focusing on just winning a game and whatever it takes to win that day, we’ve got to get back to that mindset.”
A year ago, the Giants taught the Dodgers a lesson about how meaningful each individual win can be. The Dodgers won 106 games but finished second to the 107-win Giants, forcing them to play a wild-card game and face the Giants in the NL Division Series and the Braves in the NL Championship Series without homefield advantage. They were left “gassed” – Roberts’ word this spring – and came up short of the World Series.
That should have imparted a sense of urgency about winning every game possible, Roberts said. But he isn’t sure his team feels that recently.
“I know I do,” he said. “It’s not about trying. We all know it’s not a ‘try’ league. We need to all come together to start winning baseball games. That’s the only goal.”
Roberts said he sees the lack of a team-first “mindset” most obviously on the offensive side.
While winning just four of their 12 games before Sunday, the Dodgers scored 47 runs and batted .242 as a team. Take away their 11-run breakout in Chicago on Thursday, though, and they averaged just 3.3 runs per game and batted .235.
Most glaringly, they are just 20 for 99 (.202) with runners in scoring position during this stretch.
“I just think that the urgency to do whatever it takes to win that night, on the offensive side, hasn’t been there,” Roberts said, Saturday night’s 14 runners left on base fresh in his mind. “Cumulatively, the sum of runs has been there, but the consistency of output hasn’t been there and that consistency is what helps you win more than you lose.
“So again, it’s not a lack of care. It’s not a lack of try. But the mindset has to get back to whatever it takes to win a game.”
Roberts said “there have been some conversations” about the subject. But he hadn’t decided whether to address more directly in a team meeting or some other fashion why the team has slipped into this funk.
“I don’t know that answer, but I need to find that out,” he said. “Because it’s getting more clear that we’re not doing enough to win baseball games. We’re too talented, and I need to find that out.”
FREEWAY SERIES
Monday is the first of three off days in an eight-day stretch for the Dodgers, helping them absorb the loss of Walker Buehler to a flexor strain at least until Andrew Heaney’s expected return to the rotation next weekend.
Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson are scheduled to start the two-game interleague series with the Angels Tuesday and Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. After another off day Thursday, Clayton Kershaw would be on five days’ rest for a Friday start at home against the Cleveland Guardians. Heaney and Julio Urias would start the rest of that series before another off day.
A stretch of 20 days with games follows. The Dodgers had planned to go with a six-man rotation during that stretch. That is unlikely now but a minor-leaguer like Ryan Pepiot or Michael Grove could make a spot start during that time to ease the workload on the rest of the rotation.
TREINEN PROGRESS
Out since April 14 with a significant shoulder injury, reliever Blake Treinen is making progress in his throwing program.
Treinen made about 60 throws from 120 feet Sunday morning as he works to get back. There is still no timetable for Treinen’s return but the Dodgers are hopeful he will pitch for them again at some point in the second half of the season.
“The stroke feels good. He’s pain-free. So it keeps getting better,” Roberts said. “I don’t know what that means as far as when he’s going to return or get on a mound or face hitters. But today was a positive day.”
UP NEXT
The Dodgers are off Monday.
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