Dodgers: Why Has LA Struggled Against the Padres, By the Numbers
After getting swept in San Diego last week, the Dodgers own a 3-7 record against the Padres in 2021. A big reason why the Dodgers lost all three games was their pitiful offense. They scored a total of seven runs in the series.
San Diego certainly deserves credit for game planning, but the Dodgers are a better offensive team than they’ve shown in their contests with the Padres.
Dodgers Offense Against San Diego by the Numbers
Through Saturday, the Dodgers have averaged 5.25 runs per game against the rest of the league. However, against San Diego, they’ve averaged 3.70. Moreover, the Padres have held the Dodgers to a .192 batting average.
Simply put, that’s not going to cut it when you’re playing one of the most potent offenses in the league.
Surprisingly, the Dodgers offense when playing San Diego is at its worst against right-handed pitching. Dodger hitters have a collective .595 OPS against Padres’ righties and a .655 mark versus their lefties. For context, league average in 2021 is .713. Los Angeles also strikes out almost a third of the time against those same righties (31.3%).
Former Dodger Yu Darvish has certainly piled up his fair share of those strikeouts in his three starts. Darvish has 29 strikeouts in his three starts and a sterling 1.35 ERA. He’s allowed just two extra base hits.
Perhaps the most damming stat of all – the Dodgers have hit .097 in the first inning. Three automatic outs to start a game is not how a team builds momentum in high pressure games.
Final Thoughts
On paper, the Dodgers have one of the best lineups in all of baseball. Whether it’s being more aggressive at the plate or creating more contact on breaking pitches, they need to make an adjustment.
Three losses to a divisional opponent in June won’t make or break a season.
Three losses in September however, could be a different story.
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Because the Padres from the coaching to the players to the game planning take those series way more seriously and it shows in how the two teams go about the games no matter what Doc claims. Hopefully they learn they can’t just roll into the series with them with just their talent and win. We need to win our next couple series against them and maybe a sweep
Don, your 1st sentence is right on! Bottom line is that Dodgers did not take game planning and playing with any intensity very seriously at all. But it just could be that as of this time Padres are just a better team. Not only that but they run and steal bases on the Dodgers at will, probably more than they do with any other team.
Do anyone know the reason Mookie had a stomach ailment in SD that required IV’s? I heard a rumor it was food poisoning. I don’t want to be a conspiracist but it happened before when the Dodgers are visiting a rival city, a star player mysteriously get sick. Maybe the Dodgers should bring their own caterer to crucial games @ questionable sites. Ha…ha…..I’m just saying.
They were simply out-coached and not prepared for the intensity of the series. The Padres knew the Dodgers’ pitchers throw 1st pitch strikes, so they get ambushed and in reverse the Padres’ pitchers know the Dodgers takes pitches so they get ahead on counts thus the Dodgers end up chasing breaking balls. Two, the Padres had the defensive scouting on point w/ players positioned correctly and using Machado as a rover and playing w/ the minds of the lefty hitters. Three, the Padres knew getting on base by any means will turn into another easy 90 ft., because of ineptitude of controlling the running game. Four, Dodgers’ defensive shifts were a wrong idea as they got burned time and time again w/ no adjustments made. Bad scouting and game planning. No. 5, they got beat down by being behind after taking a lead…..Petco Park took that energy away from them. Simply out-played, out-coached, and out-managed.
That what ya posted simply sums it up perfectly. Dodgers were out planned, out played, out coached and out managed.
The philosophy of stepping into the box waiting to walk is on the managers as well as the players. Step into the box ready to hit is the philosophy that I would like to see next time. If not, we need to change some names there in the dugout.
While I agree with just about every statement here…I have to remind everyone that in a 162 game season – as opposed to 60 – it is humanly impossible to be totally, emotionally engrossed with every game and opponent. Give the Madres some credit for “showing up” and deduct points from the Dodgers for not. Roberts can take most of that blame since he’s charged with having the team prepared and giving it the best chance to win.
No matter, there will never be a 162-0 season regardless of how great that team is…or should be.
And while each win or loss counts as 1 whether it’s in April or October, let’s be realistic and not start giving out early season “rings”. I would rather have this team ramping up emotionally to Sept-Oct instead of using up too much energy trying to win May or June championships.
No doubt beating the Madres is always sweet, but beating a 3rd place team should not be a life or death proposition.
Yes, I understand the season is a long grind, but if you’re getting paid well and expected to compete w/ the contenders and not show up? You can always pull back w/ the non- contenders but when it’s showtime, you must be prepared, focused, and ready to perform @ the highest level as champions. As any professional player, if you at least can’t get up to play an important series occasionally then you should be doing something else. For ex., if you have a big contract bid coming up and take it as any ordinary task, you sure would not be around to compete w/ the big boys. Be a pro and earn your pay !
D>R is to blame for the way dodgers are playing.he does not manage pitchers pinch hitters well @ all.takes pichters out when they are doing well leves them in when they should come out, BOB CAN DO WAY BETTER THAN D.R. A. F. $ STAN, WHEN WILL YOU . GUYS DO SOMETHING, REPLACE D.R. BEFORE IT IS TO LATE. DODGERS PAYING TO MUCH MONEY FOR A MANAGER $ GETTING MAD DECESIONS. SOME PLAYERS DO NOT & AILL NOT PLAY THEIR BEST FOR D.R. FIRE HIS SSA ASP