Washington – A silent feeling of rescue percolated in the clubhouse of the Dodgers early Wednesday evening.
This collective expiration and the prospect of a happy return flight was made possible by the tension preceded it. At the end of the race late in a lower team from the Washington Nationals, the behemoth entirely loaded with baseball seemed to be in serious danger to undergo an embarrassing scan. Two losses on Two ruthlessly cold nights in the national capital at the end of a Swing from the east coast of a week had looked at her in tatters.
Advertisement
But the dodgers, as they do so often, returned at the end of the afternoon. A seventh of two points provided an advance from a point Invigorate the 6-5 victory. A defensive error in the ninth opened the door to a return from Nats, but a magnificent diving game Kiké Hernández Keep the light intact edge.
He marked the end of a road trip 2-4 which could, at best, be described as without inspiration. The Dodgers torn off a single victory in Philadelphia and DC, looking far from the dominant and inevitable force that rushed to A better start of franchise 8-0. Even the victories were sloppy. As a result, the atmosphere in the room on Wednesday was far from festive.
Very few things that happen in April will have an impact on what counts in October, once the weather is cold again and the games have had the heft. In the long term, this loaded Dodgers team will be more than OK. But seen through a critical lens, the stretch of six games of the has highlighted some areas for a real concern.
Start -up below
When the double youth cy Blake Snell struck it on SundayThis meant that the Dodgers needed a filling arm for Tuesday's match. This spot starter, Justin Wrobleskiwas pulverized by the Nats for eight points in five rounds. Wrobleski was then quickly sent back to Triple-A, exchanged for right-handers Landon Tallewhich started on Wednesday because the dodgers limit both Yoshinobu yamamoto And Sasaki Roki at one start per week. Knack has sold five points while managing only seven withdrawals. Only a stellar and aimless performance, 6⅔ of the enclosure of the LEVEURS DE LA assured a victory in the final.
Advertisement
In total, Dodger beginners had a putrid era of 7.01 on a trip, a sign that the clubs praised from the club will find it difficult for a few expanses of small sample. The reinforcements will finally come; THE Shohei Ohtani injured quartet,, Clayton Kershaw,, Emmet Sheehan And Tony Gonolin are all expected at some point. Snell has also received good news on his shoulder in difficulty – he will refrain from launching until Monday – but a longer passage on the shelf remains at stake. Bobby MillerWho was sensational in 2023 and abyssal in '24, is another option.
The skipper Dave Roberts ranked the difficulties of Knack and Wrobleski as aberrant values after Wednesday's match, but the duo did not exactly inspire confidence this time through rotation. And while the 2024 Dodgers have overcome an avalanche of arm injuries to raise an trophy in a glorious manner, the team depth of the team remains something to watch as this season passes.
No Freddie Freeman
The fact of not having a future temple of fame, MVP of the World Series, Slugger All in the world, etc., available for the entire road trip was an obvious obstacle. Freeman, who reacted his ankle divided into surgery While sliding in the shower last week, did not play since March 29, but it is expected when the dodgers return home on Friday.
Advertisement
His absence pushed the programming of the “impressive” “extremely good” and forced Kiké Hernández's bat in the daily range. Without Freeman strikes in the three hole just behind Mookie BettsAll the other strikers put back a slit, more or less, weakening the whole order.
Freeman, who will be 36 years old in September, fought through a multitude of ailments, including a tracked ankle and a broken coast, during the World Series race. The problem of the coasts resurfaced during the club's March trip to Tokyo, with Freeman a late scratch for match 1 and a DNP for match 2. This time, a bizarre accident at home pushed it on the shelf.
Roberts minimized the seriousness of Freeman's current situation, and there is a freeman's chance, one of the most sustainable figures in the game, remains healthy for the rest of the season. But given its advanced age, each additional trip to it increases the overall level of concern.
Advertisement
Bad defense
Here is the most sustainable and potentially overwhelming concern. On Monday, the Dodgers made two errors in the second round, leading to a pair of Washington races. Wednesday, poor communication on a ninth fly ball gave the Nationals a window to make a return. The size of the sample on advanced defensive measures remains low, but at the beginning, the dodgers note below the average at all levels.
This follows the vision test. Freeman, at the first base, could be the only excellent defender of the diamond. Behind the dish, Will Smith There remains a strong launcher, but its framing numbers took a fall in 2024. The move from Betts at the stopped stop is admirable, but it is downright in the lower half of the shortcomings in terms of a glove. Max MUNCY is better than you think in the warm corner, but it is always at best there.
And the outer field, at least so far, has been a treacherous situation. Neither Teoscar Hernández neither Michael Comfort has a good range in the corners, and Andy pages fought with routes in the center. Tommy Edman Defensive versatility is a humungous boon, and he is a good defender whether in dirt or grass, but he cannot play everywhere at the same time.
Advertisement
The Dodgers won a world series last season with roughly this same group. They could well compete to overcome their shortcomings on the ground and play a crunchy bullet at the right time, as was the case in 2024.
But if you are looking for an Achilles heel, that's all.
