After two straight losses to the San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Dodgers managed to escape with one win the series and are now tied for first in the National League West.
Sunday’s 8-2 win featured an explosive performance from a Dodgers offense that had pretty much been silent over the weekend.
After the first two contests proved to produce just two runs total for a usually high-flying Dodgers lineup, manager Dave Roberts spoke on what mindset his squad needs to have moving forward.
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“This time of the season, it’s not about the mechanics, your swing,” he said. “It’s about how, ‘Can I help the team win?’ … We’re at the end of August. It’s just about getting the job done and finding a way to find some production.
“You have to, again, take what the pitcher gives you and try to create something. You can’t always go for that big swing. You got to kind of shorten up [sometimes]. We have it in there, and we do it at times. But I just don’t see us doing that collectively.”
With just five hits across the first two games, two of those hits being rookie Alex Freeland’s first and second big league home runs, Roberts knows that a change needs to be made down the stretch. He shifted the focus to the will to win and to manufacture runs, hoping that the rest will fall into place with that mindset.
“Let’s just get back to being who we are, and doing those little things; scratching and clawing; finding ways and willing yourself, your team, your offense to score some runs,” Roberts said. “I do believe that that kind of desire will manifest itself. I do.”
With five weeks left in the regular season, and a few run producers waiting in the wings on the injured list, there is still light at the end of the tunnel, but a mindset shift can certainly benefit the current roster as they look to remain consistent from now until the final days of October.
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Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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One Response
Its funny coming from Dave Roberts, because i dont think HE is putting the team first. Hes playing Conforto, who was HIS pick to click, but has bombed all year. A team first approach would be for Roberts to drop his pride, admit that Conforto has been a failure this year, move on, and focus putting the best guys in the lineup.