The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped a 4-2 decision to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday and wrapped up their series in Phoenix having scored just seven runs across three games. Manager Dave Roberts didn’t reach for any soft language afterward: the team isn’t making adjustments, and he sees that as the core of the problem.
At 70-48, the Dodgers still own one of the best records in baseball. But an offense averaging 3.2 runs per game over the last nine — nearly two runs below their season average — has the most expensive dugout in the sport genuinely concerned.
What Roberts Said — and What the Numbers Back Up
Roberts was precise about where things broke down. Speaking to reporters after the game, he zeroed in on the fastball as the most obvious failure of the series: «I think in this series it was very evident that we weren’t hitting the fastball, and we were exposing ourselves to the changeup from the secondary pitchers specifically,» he said (via Yahoo Sports). Then he went further: «We have to make adjustments. To me, that’s what I see as a group — we’re just not making adjustments.»
The numbers match the frustration. Since July 1, the Dodgers are averaging 4.18 runs per game — 20th in all of MLB — and have scored more than four runs just three times in their last eleven games. The most damning single stat: 99 double plays on the season, the most in the majors. It’s not just that they aren’t scoring; they’re killing their own rallies.
Ohtani Quiet, Rodríguez Dominant
Shohei Ohtani finished the series 1-for-11, going 0-for-4 on Sunday against Eduardo Rodríguez. The Arizona left-hander has been a Dodger killer this year — in four starts against Los Angeles in 2026, he carries a 1.88 ERA, a remarkable number against any single opponent.
Rodríguez explained his approach after the game: «The changeup was working really well. I got a lot of swing-and-miss with it. I think the four-seam fastball was also helping it a lot» (MLB.com). That combination — a fastball that sets up the changeup — is exactly what Roberts said his hitters failed to solve.
The start didn’t help either. Justin Wrobleski lasted just 3⅓ innings and allowed four runs, including a two-run home run by Ketel Marte in the first inning. The bullpen held things steady from there, but the offense never found a way back.
Tucker Is Producing — The Rest Haven’t Followed
The one bright spot in this stretch has been Kyle Tucker. The outfielder — signed for $240 million in the offseason — has hit .308/.438/.538 with a .976 OPS over the past two weeks, the best mark on the roster in that span. Nobody is questioning Tucker’s production. The problem is that nobody else has caught the same wave.
What’s Coming: Skubal, Snell, and No Margin for Error
The Dodgers head home to face the Kansas City Royals, and the schedule doesn’t offer any relief. Tarik Skubal (7-6, 2.81 ERA) makes his Dodger Stadium debut on Monday, with Blake Snell — another Cy Young winner — lined up for Tuesday. Two of the best starters in the league, arriving at exactly the wrong moment for a lineup that hasn’t found its rhythm in over a week.
Roberts acknowledged it. Elite pitching on the other side isn’t an excuse when your own lineup has gone nine games without clicking. Arizona also won the season series against Los Angeles — the first time they’ve done that since 2018 — adding a layer of bruised pride to a team that won back-to-back World Series in 2024 and 2025.
The Dodgers aren’t in freefall at 70-48. But the pattern of not adjusting to opposing pitchers, grounding into double plays at the worst moments, and losing Ohtani as an offensive force in stretches — that’s exactly the kind of problem that talent alone can’t paper over come October.
