Make California Post a Preferred Source The Dodgers offense didn’t look right in Game 2 of the National League Division Series.
In a 3-2 loss against the Braves on Sunday, the Dodgers scored two runs off homers from Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman. But Freeman made note of the lineup’s issue in a defeat that evened the playoff series.
“Gotta find a way to score some runs without hitting a home run. So, I think that’s our biggest thing right now,” Freeman said as the Dodgers head to Atlanta for a pivotal Game 3.
The Dodgers lineup has been entirely reliant on the long ball. All six of LA’s runs in the NLDS have come via the home run ball. While it’s certainly more entertaining for fans to see players go yard, it can also lead to a lack of quality at-bats with runners in scoring position.
That is a problem the Yankees have seemingly faced for years. In turn, that has led to the lack of recent championships from the 27-time World Series winning franchise.
On Sunday, the Dodgers endured just that and went 0-for-8 with RISP.
The Dodgers will deploy Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Game 3 with Chris Sale set to be opposite the World Series MVP. The matchup is slated to be a pitcher’s duel, but the Dodgers offense will have to get back to playing small ball in order to generate more traffic on the bases against Sale.
The offensive drought from the Dodgers in Game 2 was telling and the group will have to make corrections in what is now set to be a three-game series between LA and Atlanta. Yamamoto on the mound gives the Dodgers the best chance of winning given the right-hander’s road splits this year, 1.77 ERA and 0.82 WHIP.
But the Dodgers lineup will also have to do its part, which will be its biggest postseason challenge yet against the Braves ace.
Sale tossed a complete game shutout against Los Angeles in August.
