NFL
By George Lopez
The Los Angeles Dodgers currently are in a virtual tie for first with the San Diego Padres in the National League West Division with a 38-23 record. Prior to the start of the season, manager Dave Roberts stated the Dodgers were going to win it all this season. While most fans would be happy with being in first place after 60 games, the question remains…. are the Dodgers doing this with smoke and mirrors?
Currently, the Dodgers lead the National League in team E.R.A at 3.06. The starting pitching has been inconsistent all season. The Dodgers were dealt a blow this past week when the team announced Walker Buehler would be shut down 6-8 weeks with an elbow strain. Prior to the injury, Buehler had not been pitching up to his normal standards. Though he has a record of 6-3, his E.R.A. is an uncharacteristic 4.02. Julio Urias has an E.R.A under 3.00, however, his record sits at 3-6. What’s hurting Urias this year is the home run ball. Last year, Urias gave up a total of 19 home runs for the entire season. This year he has already given up 12.
The biggest surprise from the starting rotation has been the work of Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson. Gonsolin has become the de facto ace of the starting rotation with an 8-0 record and a 1.42 E.R.A. Anderson currently has a 7-0 record with a 3.07 E.R.A. Prior to being shut down due to inflammation in his hip, Clayton Kershaw was showing signs of his dominant self again. With the loss of Buehler, look for the Dodgers to be actively looking to trade for a starting pitcher. Dustin May should also return to the Dodgers possibly in late July or early August but expect him to come out of the bullpen when he returns.
In the bullpen, the Dodgers are missing Blake Treinen as he recovers from a shoulder injury. This has forced the Dodgers to use relievers in situations they did not envision at the beginning of the season. The Dodgers are also missing the contributions of Joe Kelly who left via free agency this past offseason. Craig Kimbrel is 12-13 in save situations but has not shown a consistent dominant performance.[pickup_prop id=”21208″]
Offensively, the Dodgers are being led by Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman. While the Dodgers currently lead the National League in team hitting, it has been an inconsistent lineup all season. These are stats of players the Dodgers rely on in their lineup:
Max Muncy .156 avg, 4 HR, and 19 RBI
Cody Bellinger .207 avg, 7 HR, and 23 RBI
Will Smith. .248 avg, 7 HR, and 26 RBI
Justin Turner .213 avg, 4 HR, and 13 RBI
That is nearly half their starting lineup that is underachieving this season. Mookie Betts leads the Dodgers with 17 home runs but is currently mired in a 3-36 slump.
The Dodgers do play great team baseball, but with the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants knocking on the doorsteps, the Dodgers could soon find themselves looking up at the Padres and Giants in the standings if they do not find consistency from each player in their starting lineup and pitching staff.
