Concerning trend is another reason for Dodgers to worry about possible Wild Card series

The Los Angeles Dodgers were well on their way to coasting to another division title and securing a first-round bye. Then, over the last two weeks, they lost eight of their last 11 games entering play on Wednesday. It's forced Dave Roberts to call it like he sees it by referring to the Dodgers as a wild-card team.

As of now, there's no threat to the Dodgers losing the National League West. The problem is that if the current standing remain true at the end of the season, the Dodgers would be hosting the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card round.

That's a problem. For one, it's three consecutive games without an off day. In other words, Roberts would lose the ability to construct his pitching rotation for the NLDS. Bigger than that, the Dodgers' offense, while littered with superstars, has a crippling liability that could rear it's head in October when defense becomes the focus.

The Dodgers have grounded in the most double plays of any team in baseball this season. The Dodgers have grounded into 100 double plays this season. For reference, last season, the Dodgers grounded into 108 double plays. Short of the Dodgers correcting this issue in the immediate future, they should blow past last year's mark in no time.

Dodgers' biggest offensive weakness could cripple them in potential Wild Card series vs. Phillies

Obviously, nothing kills an inning for an offense like a double play. It halts momentum, and often prevents the dam from opening. Why that could be a such a problem for the Dodgers in October is because of who they would potentially be facing during the Wild Card series.

Circling back to those Phillies, as a whole, their pitching staff is among the best at inducing ground balls. The Phillies' pitching staff has a collective ground-ball rate of 44.9%. It's the second-highest mark in baseball.

The concern doesn't stop there. Specific to the Phillies' starting rotation, either Christopher Sanchez and Jesús Luzardo have ground-ball rates over 50%. Oh, Zack Wheeler only has a ground-ball rate around 44%, but he is striking out over 30% of the hitters he's facing this season.

This is why a Wild Card series can be so problematic. There are tough draws, and for the Dodgers, the Phillies would be at the top of that list.

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