Dodgers play with unwarranted arrogance as 9th Division crown slips away



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After a Giants win this afternoon – another Giants win – the Dodgers occupy 3 full games behind the division lead in the NL West. Just a week ago, LA had finally caught up to San Francisco at the top, entering a very important Bay Area series tied at 85-49. Then they apparently took the foot off the gas.

Dave Roberts failed to field LA’s top 3 starters against the Giants. They lost the series 2-1. As he headed to St. Louis, Dave Roberts failed to send his best roster for all 4 games while chasing the Giants by two in the losing column.

They split the series 2-2.

Dodger’s players have said it and felt it – sometimes there doesn’t seem to be any sense of urgency. Max Muncy called the offense “inconsistent”, adding that LA’s talented roster “just doesn’t put it in place.”


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This team lacks a spark but the manager and the top brass seem to have some bravado and a feeling that everything is just going to fall back to normal and the Dodgers will reign supreme in the NL West again.

Dodger insider Bill Plunkett of the OC Register agreed with the idea that it’s arrogance the team is showing right now and really, this shouldn’t be the time for arrogance.

“I think there is a certain arrogance about the decisions they made. They could have set it up so that Urias, Buehler and Scherzer could play against the Giants, but they prioritized “rest”… but they made a lot of long-term decisions with the assumption that they are going to play in depth in october … i am doing it think they are not so afraid of the only Wild Card game.

The assumption that they will play until October… give it real NLDS 2019 vibrations, if you ask me.

The Dodgers are now entering a very important 3 game streak with the San Diego Padres this weekend. San Diego has often shown that they are more interested in winning than the Dodgers, at least when they face each other. Another point that Plunk agrees with… for the Padres and Giants teams.

“It was like the games were more important to them than the Dodgers.”

The last time LA and San Diego met, the Dodgers surprisingly swept away the series. Surprisingly only because the Dodgers have struggled to do so over the past two seasons as the Padres have focused on talent acquisition and, more importantly, energy.

At the moment, this is a preview of the Wild Card game. And, with the Dodgers sitting 3 games down with just 21 games to go and no one-on-one anymore with the division-leading Giants on the schedule, it’s increasingly likely that this is the game we’re seeing on the 6th. October at Dodger Stadium. Unless a little miracle happens and the Dodgers stick their heads out of you know where.

Of course, the Dodgers overcame more serious obstacles against them. But this NLCS 2020 is further and further into the rearview mirror. This team had a heart, it had a soul. This team has guys who show up for work and then come home.

Prove me wrong, boys.

NEXT: Could LA Go With Max Scherzer On Walker Buehler In A Wild Card Game?



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