Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers are on pace to win 97 games this season but it has not felt that way since the All-Star break.
The team has not been playing up to its capabilities over the past month and a half, going 20-18 since July 17. The Dodgers especially have struggled in August when facing teams with winning records, losing five consecutive series against such competition.
“Honestly, I’m not too concerned about it. I know we’ve got a good ballclub,” manager Dave Roberts said on SportsNet LA when asked about the Dodgers’ struggles against teams over .500.
“Baseball is one of things where how you’re playing, who you’re playing, how they’re playing at that point in time. I didn’t know that statistic, but I’ll still take our team against any of those winning teams. I think it just comes down to us. We’ve got to play good baseball, which I think for a six-game stretch we were on our way to doing that.”
The Dodgers are capable of beating anyone when they are at their best because of the talent they possess, but haven’t consistently played at a high level in 2026.
“Yeah, I do,” Roberts said when asked if he felt like teams have caught Dodgers while not at their best. “We haven’t been at our best in quite some time, but I just think you look back, and teams we’ve played, certainly the last couple months, have been playing good baseball. No excuse, but my point still stands that we’ve just got to play better baseball.”
It is entirely possible that the Dodgers wake up in time for the postseason, but their current quality of play does not inspire much confidence when the margin for error decreases in October.
Earlier this month, Roberts delivered a message to his team about playing with more urgency in order to avoid starting the playoffs with a Wild Card Series.
Ease of Dodgers’ schedule
The biggest reason the Dodgers’ record since the All-Star break does not look worse is because of sweeping the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates for a six-game winning streak.
The remainder of the Dodgers’ schedule this season does not present a ton of opportunities for tuneups against winning teams in preparation for the playoffs. Their final 28 games of the season include just two series against teams currently with winning records, those being the Miami Marlins from Sept. 11-13 and San Diego Padres shortly after for a matchup from Sept. 22-24.
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