Dodgers: No Need to Panik Despite the Strange Start

Two games into the 2018 regular season and it seems like the Dodgers offense is stuck in a loop of ineffectiveness.

While the sewer line burst in the spring training finale, it turns out so far the Dodgers offense has stunk far worse.  Tied for the team lead in hits after two games is Clayton Kershaw.  He technically leads the team in batting average too although he is only 2-2 on the young season.  Even with Kershaw collecting two hits and allowing only one run, the Dodgers are still in a 0-2 hole to begin the season.  Who would’ve thought that the first two games of the season would hand losses to Kershaw and Jansen? That’s baseball for you.

The Dodgers offense is yet to score a single run through the first eighteen innings of the regular season.  The Dodgers record is nineteen scoreless innings to begin a season so the Dodgers need only two scoreless innings to begin Saturday night’s game in order to set a Dodger record for futility.  Cody Bellinger, Logan Forsythe, Yasiel Puig, and Corey Seager are all hitless through their first two starts of this season.  That is literally half of the lineup since the pitcher’s spot doesn’t provide much offense unless it’s Clayton Kershaw.

Not only has the Dodgers’ offense been lacking punch, but their defense has been just as bad.  Friday night Logan Forsythe committed three errors after committing three errors in over 300 innings at third base last season.  Seager also booted a routine play at shortstop but that is almost expected since the Dodgers eased him into games during spring training.  It was a given that the Dodgers would miss the stable bat of Justin Turner, but they did not expect that they would also miss his outstanding defense as well.

More from LA Dodgers News

• Giants laughably sign pitcher that Dodgers absolutely own
• Dave Roberts’ quote about Padres in NLDS should motivate Dodgers
• Former Astro seemingly takes uncalled for shot at Cody Bellinger after Cubs deal
• Dodgers’ 2023 lineup without Trea Turner isn’t as impressive as it should be
• Recapping who Dodgers gained and lost in Rule 5 Draft

While everything offensively has been a big disappointment so far, there are some positives with two games gone by.  The starting pitching has been absolutely brilliant through the first two games.  Clayton Kershaw allowed just one run in six innings, and Alex Wood did even better with eight shutout innings.  Wood was not known as an innings-eater last season but he cruised through eight strong innings on Friday night.  The bullpen outside of Kenley Jansen has thrown three scoreless innings.  Yasmani Grandal has also looked much better behind the plate, using his slimmed-down physique to move around with ease and block potential passed balls.

Baseball is a marathon, someday in the middle of summer when the Dodgers sit in first place, we will look back and laugh at what has transpired through the first two games of the season.  Afterall, last September the Dodgers lost 11 of 12 games and ended up making it to the World Series.

Next: What is the worst case scenario for the Dodgers?

For now, this has been excruciating to watch but the offense will wake up, they simply have too many potent bats to remain a below average team offensively.  There is no doubt it has been an odd start to the 2018 campaign. Defeated by Panik and deja vu the Dodgers will be fine. The offense will pick up, the pitching is strong, and this is easily a top-five team in baseball.  All they have to do is play some more games and things will even out, that’s just how baseball works.