4 reasons Dodgers' losing streak doesn't matter, 4 reasons fans should actually worry

The Los Angeles Dodgers have lost six games in a row. Back-to-back sweeps at the hands of the Red Sox and then the Cubs have led them down this path. The bullpen has been getting torched. The lineup, outside of a few, has struggled. If you only looked at the box scores, you’d be sure the Dodgers were in trouble.

Let’s be real, though. They’re not. Or at least they’re not in the way that group chats and comment sections would lead you to believe. There’s a real split between what’s alarming and what’s just part of the ebbs and flows of a long season. They did lose seven in a row at one point last year.

Why the Dodgers' losing streak doesn't matter

They’re still WAY ahead

Start with the obvious. The Dodgers still hold an 8.5-game lead in the National League West entering play this weekend. They’re 69-46, and nobody in Arizona or San Diego has done enough in the last week to suggest they’re capable of erasing that with less than two months left. This isn’t 2017 when an 11-game losing streak late in the year barely dented a double-digit cushion, but it’s not that far off. The division is not in question.

It’s extended spring training

For the most part, the regular season functions a lot less like a 162-game grind for the Dodgers and more like an extended tune-up for October. That may bite them at some point, but it certainly isn’t going to this year. Dave Roberts has been managing workloads and rehab timelines all season with one eye on October. A win in August is certainly preferred to a loss, but the goal is not to have the best regular season record. It’s to hoist a trophy, and that’s what it all points to for the Dodgers.

Reinforcements are coming

Blake Snell has made just one big league start this year, but is about to be ready to come off his rehab assignment and join the rotation soon. Tyler Glasnow is on a rehab assignment and could be back sooner rather than later. Will Smith has resumed baseball activity and is working through a hitting progression. Both Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone are either on a rehab assignment or will be soon. Blake Treinen is throwing live batting practice and could go on a rehab assignment soon. They’ve already gotten Kiké Hernandez and Tommy Edman back. The gang may not get fully whole this year, but they’re getting some big pieces back soon enough.

Oh yeah, they have Tarik Skubal

Then there’s the move everyone saw coming when the Dodgers acquired the two-time Cy Young winner from the Tigers. They’re now the first team in MLB history to roster a reigning multi-time MVP and a reigning multi-time Cy Young winner in the same season. Skubal did debut in one of the six losses, but having him is better than not having him. 

Why Dodgers fans should actually worry

The pitching hasn’t been good

The Dodgers have allowed 42 runs over these six games, which is a cool 20 more than they’ve scored. That’s not entirely a small sample fluke. The bullpen has been hit hard, and the lack of length from the rotation has exacerbated the issue in the bullpen, which has allowed the 'pen to get exposed the way it has.

Offense needs to give more

The offense is probably the bigger concern because at least the pitching staff has plenty of reinforcements on the way. Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman have continued to be great as usual. But if you go back before this stretch started, there are only four healthy Dodgers with a wRC+ of 100 or higher since the start of July. Ohtani and Freeman lead the way, with Kyle Tucker sitting at 107 and Max Muncy at 100, so even the other two aren’t blowing anyone away. Dalton Rushing getting hurt is a big deal for them, as he was sitting at 129 in that stretch. They will need to get more from Mookie Betts, Edman, Andy Pages, Teoscar Hernández, and the others they typically count on.

The depth is eroding

Eric Lauer has been so important for the Dodgers, but he’s started to struggle some as he’s pitched more and more. He took his first loss with the Dodgers during the losing streak after starting 5-0. Dave Roberts’ continued cautious handling of Ohtani’s knee is a reminder that this roster isn’t as bulletproof as you might think. Freddie Freeman getting hit in the hand and coming out as a precaution was a scare nobody wanted or needed. It could actually be problematic fast if either of those two can’t go.

Seeding matters

It’s easy to say that the Dodgers just want to get in and let the talent take over. They had to play in the Wild Card last year, and it turned out fine. But the Brewers are currently starting to run away with the best record in the National League (and baseball), and the Braves are currently ahead of the Dodgers as well. A bye doesn’t guarantee you a World Series win, but anything can happen in a short series, and a bye does guarantee a trip through that first round. Continuing to lose ground while Blake Snell’s return gets sorted out puts a crunch on the roster decisions ahead. Two straight titles buy a lot of patience, but they don’t buy immunity from a team beating itself.

The reasons the losing streak doesn’t matter far outweigh the reasons it does, so the sky isn’t falling on Chavez Ravine. But the next two weeks with Snell and hopefully Glasnow returning do matter. The division was never in doubt, but the path back to the World Series can certainly be impacted by how they finish this season.

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