Dodgers: 5 Biggest Concerns Heading Toward October, Health, Offense, the Giants, and More
It’s nearing make or break time for the Los Angeles Dodgers if they are to win their ninth straight NL West crown. LA currently sits five games back of the Giants in the NL West with just 47 games to play in the 2021 season.
We give our 5 biggest concerns for LA including injuries, the relentless Giants, the bullpen, inconsistent offense, and more. Plus, Dodgers fans voice their concerns with LA as the Boys in Blue enter the stretch run.
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With hundreds of entries between Twitter and our YouTube community page, the fans made their voices very much heard.
With just under two months of regular season left, what are your biggest concerns with the #Dodgers?
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) August 9, 2021
From inconsistencies on offense (the Dodgers lead Major League Baseball in men left on base with 851) to struggles with health and in extra innings, you’d almost get the feeling that the Dodgers weren’t one of the best teams in baseball.
However, a chief concern now really should be the calendar. The Dodgers are no longer in control of their own destiny. They sit 5 games behind the very real Giants and only play San Francisco three more times this season. Add in all the injuries and the possibility of a Wild Card berth starts to creep more and more into frame.
What are your biggest concerns for these Dodgers? Continue the conversation in the comments below!
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At this point in the season you can throw out all the statistics about the Dodgers! There’re a good team, but not a championship team. They should be a wild card defender at best, and if so watch out, anything could happen. First, they got to get healthy – no Mookie Betts means no championship! That goes for the rest, i.e. Justin, Clayton, Kelly, etc.
I’m a big Dodger fan, but I think it’s time to cut some of the fat (Kenley, Lux, Roberts) and retool. There is a solid core group, but lacks the seasoned role players from past team (Kike, Joc, Pedro).
The Giants are good and lucky – a tough combination to beat!
sounds exactly like what I gnats fan would say. Dodgers with everyone back healthy is a Championship team. gnats are lucky and good, but beatable.
I have followed the Dodgers since the days when Sandy and Big D “toed” the rubber for them. I can’t remember this many injuries happening to one team, during one season. Based on they’re current “available” roster, I don’t see them repeating as champs. Very unlikely they catch the Giants for the Division. Their focus should be to get healthy and maintaining the #1 wild card spot. With a healthy, fully staffed roster, they could be champs again. But they’re going to have to take a harder route to get there
it’s a lock Dodgers host the WC game at a minimum, at the max they catch the gnats and win the West. If they fall back to hosting WC game, they will throw Scherzer or Buehler. Neither one can be beat at home. and don’t assume our opponent will be the pods as they are fading slowly, and the Reds are likely to catch/pass them. Reds visit Dodgers for a 1 game sudden death WC – I LOVE our chances. Then we are in a Division series where we can win any series against any team in baseball.
That’s a big difference between the Dodgers and Giants so far this season. The Dodgers have to be virtually completely healthy and have all the pieces in place to play at a Championship level on a consistent basis.
Conversely, the Giants have demonstrated that almost any lineup they trot out there can get it done.
The Giants have had some injury issues as well (although certainly, not as many) but even when S.F. puts out a lineup that includes 3-5 players you’ve hardly heard of, they win.
The Giants are playing with House Money this season and it shows. The expectations for them in 2021 were low and they play with a relaxed intensity that is hard to beat.
Of course, the fact that Posey, under a load management regime, is playing as well as ever and Crawford having his best season ever is huge for them. Belt has been very good when he’s been healthy. That championship core, even though it’s only 3 players, is the foundation of this club and the Giants have that “championship feeling” again–it’s in their muscle memory. We’ll see how it plays out in the post season.
obviously Dodger-grown GM and Mgr have been a god-send for the team from frisco. and with less expectations than the Dodgers, the gnats do play with less pressure. so far just enough to stay 5 games ahead of the Dodgers. as their schedule gets tougher, look for gnats to comeback to earth. Question is: will the Dodgers keep winning .700 clip between now and end of season?
If we don’t catch the Giants and let the Padres get ahead of us, we will be guaranteed to not make the postseason. We absolutely must get our shit together ASAP.
5 biggest concerns:
Robert’s in game management of lineups and pitching decions.
Too many BP games that may burn out the pen later in the year.
Inconsistent offense, such as what we saw in yesterday’s 2 to 1 loss on only 3 singles.
Struggles against the descent LHP in the league.
Excsesive amount of injuries all year long with minor league players unprepared and brought up and unable to contribute at all.
Only concern: when do we get everyone back? It’s time to dominate and get hot as we get set for the playoffs!
The reality is that Dodgers may, I say not get all back and at full health so wss.
Since there have been teams that have battled through injuries and have won, I will say given the depth of our team, we still have a legitimate shot to contend… except for my two main concerns: Dopey Davey Robots mismanagement of this team throughout the season with a different lineup every night, questionable pitching moves and leaving the bench empty when we head into the late innings. He’s been outmanaged on a consistent basis but because he is a puppet for upper management, he’s unfortunately not going anywhere. My second concern is Kenley “BS” Jansen (BS for blown save) who has struggled since his heart procedure resulting in him now not having one. His ego has exceeded his evaporating talent but, again the puppet Roberts refuses to see that and puts this team in peril everytime he calls on him..
And yet, here we are having tryouts in the bull pen while inching into the final part of the season. The alleged strengths of this team in April have been looking more like weaknesses of late. A 4-0 lead handed off to a bull pen who – so far – have given up 4 runs tonight. This club seems incapable of putting together 4 or 5 solid games in a row anymore.
Plain and simple , destiny for Giants this year. No heart & soul for Dodgers, thinking they are entitled! Out coached, no timely hitting & no bullpen consistently. Waste of good starting pitching . Will & probably still make playoffs ( wild card) but one game winner move on , no one fears Jansen , he’ll blow it! ?
Plain and simple , destiny for Giants this year. No heart & soul for Dodgers, thinking they are entitled! Out coached, no timely hitting & no bullpen consistently. Waste of good starting pitching . Will & probably still make playoffs ( wild card) but one game winner move on , no one fears Jansen , he’ll blow it! ?
Everybody knows Roberts cannot manage a bullpen in the post-season –except his bosses.
Why does Roberts change relief pitchers after 1 inning? Is is to save their arms so that they’re well rested or because he doesn’t want to strain their arms? Hello, that hasn’t worked. How many of our relief pitchers have hit the 10 day IL in spite of 1 inning pitched per game! My recommendation: if our relief pitcher gets 3 out with under 15-20 pitches and doesn’t allow a run, have him pitch a 2nd and maybe even a 3rd inning. Why bring someone in to pitch the next inning NOT knowing if they will throw strikes when the previous RP has consistent strikes!
I agree. Good point.
Our lineup must look like this to give us a chance. We can win it all without Kershaw, Jansen, Mookie and JT. Bring up the catcher from the minors (Cataya).
T. Turner, 2B
Seager, SS
W. Smith 3B
Muncy, 1B
AJ Pollock LF
Bellinger, RF
C. Taylor, CF
Pitchers
We have 3 studs starting pitchers in Max, Urias and Buehler. Price is a solid #4 pitcher. Our bullpen can matchup with the best.
You have got to share what your smoking!