On June 13, 2025, the San Francisco Giants’ Logan Webb just humbled Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the team that was supposed to win 120+ games, beating the Dodgers 6-2 with LAD getting all of 2 hits. The Dodgers scored a run on 2 BB, a ground out, and a sacrifice fly and another on a Teoscar Hernández HR. The makeshift Giants were now tied with the vaunted LAD with identical 41-29 records. The Padres were a mere 2.0 games back.
The Dodgers’ pitching was decimated, and for some out there, no chance to recover. It wasn’t that their Ace (Yamamoto) was not pitching Ace-like, he was pitching poorly. In his 3 starts in June including that night, Yamamoto had 14.1 IP. My quick math brain tells me that it was not even 5.0 IP/start from their Ace. His ERA was 5.65, and his more predictive FIP was 6.00. He allowed 17 hits in 14.1 IP, and compiled 10 BB and 15 Ks. For some, the Dodgers just added to their back of the rotation pitchers.
Not just the pitching. For the month of June through June 13:
- Shohei Ohtani – .229/.296/.375/.671 – 4 XBH (1 HR), 2 RBI
- Freddie Freeman – .196/.275/.283/.557 – 4 doubles, 3 RBI
- Will Smith – .212/.270/.394/.664 – 3 XBH (1 HR), 7 RBI
- Teoscar Hernández – .140/.191/.302/.494 – 3 XBH (1 HR), 6 RBI
Mookie was the lone live bat at the top of the order:
- Mookie Betts – .333/.422/.462/.884 – 3 XBH (1 HR), 2 RBI
Mookie was now getting the Shohei discussion about coming up with nobody on base.
Fans were fretting that the expected June decline in Will Smith was imminent..
That was game 70. Shohei was still looking for an All Star break return to the mound. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow were nowhere near ready for rehab assignments much less joining the rotation. Tony Gonsolin went back on the IL on June 7. Roki Sasaki wasn’t even playing catch. Landon Knack and Bobby Miller did not give any comfort for fans that they were ready to join the rotation.
The rotation consisted of a struggling Yamamoto, an enigmatic Dustin May, and HOF Clayton Kershaw (but for how long), and two bullpen games.
It was just too easy for those looking to make their best Chicken Little impersonations. They were just chomping at the bit to criticize AF/BG, Doc and the coaches, and anyone else connected with LAD roster construction.
But something happened that night. That weekend it was reported that Shohei would return to the mound on June 16 against the Padres. Tyler Glasnow’s rehab was pushed up so that his 1st rehab assignment would be June 22. After multiple encouraging rehab assignments of his own, Emmet Sheehan started for LAD on June 18 and pitched 4.0 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits ZERO BB and 6 K against the Padres. He was optioned the next day, and in his first AAA start, he completed 6.0 perfect innings with 13 K. 13 out of 18 Sacramento hitters could not put the ball in play.
Roki Sasaki is pain free and re-initiating his throwing program. Blake Snell is pain free and throwing all of his pitches off the mound. He is getting closer to facing batters.
If that is not enough, the Dodgers have a bevy of prospects that they can package for whatever pitching needs they have: starter or reliever. How does Felix Bautista with Tanner Scott sound for the end of the game?
Since June 13 when all Giants fans and LAD doomsdayers were grinning ear to ear, the Dodgers have gone on a 10-2 run. The Giants have gone 3-8 and the Padres are 6-6. In 12 games, the Dodgers have picked up 4.0 games on the Padres and 6.5 games on the Giants. They now lead the NL West by 6.0 games with the best record in NL and tied for the best record in MLB with Detroit. Not bad for a team that some were counting out even making the playoffs.
During these 12 games, not all is right with the offense.
- Mookie (52 PA) – .204/.250/.286/.536 – 4 doubles, 7 RBI
- Freddie (46 PA) – .167/.239/.167/.406 – 0 XBH, 1 RBI
But the rest of the offense has picked it up.
- Shohei (56 PA) – .326/.473/.744/1.217 – 7 XBH (5 HR), 13 RBI
- Will Smith (34 PA) – .367/.412/.767/1.178 – 6 XBH (3 HR), 5 RBI
- Max Muncy (40 PA) – .355/.475/.742/1.217 – 5 XBH (3 HR), 16 RBI
- Andy Pages (50 PA) – .348/.360/.674/1.034 – 7 XBH (4 HR), 13 RBI
- Teoscar Hernández (45 PA) – .286/.333/.476/.810 – 4 XBH (2 HR), 5 RBI
- Tommy Edman (43 PA) – .256/.326/.410/.736 – 4 XBH (1 HR), 5 RBI
Even Michael Conforto has improved over the last 12 games.
- Michael Conforto (30 PA) – .207/.233/.483/.716 – 4 XBH (2 HR), 5 RBI
If I were to say that Conforto would have an OPS .300+ over Freddie, with more HR/XBH and RBI, and the team was 10-2 for those games, I would have been put in a straightjacket (I guess to some I still might).
Since May 15 (Max hitting .191), with 141 PA, Max is slashing .321/.447/.633/1.080, 2 doubles, 1 triple, and 10 HR, and 39 RBI in 36 games. He has walked 27 times (19.1%) and struck out 20 (14.2%). I am not hearing any more from those hoping for a Nolan Arenado trade. I am guessing that even Bums would okay with Max’s production over the last 36 games.
In an even longer stretch (235 PA), Pages is slashing .327/.343/.552/.896, 12 doubles, 1 triple, 12 HR, and 47 RBI in 56 games. He still does not like to walk (6 walks), but his strikeout rate is 16.2% over that stretch.
I fully acknowledge that Max and Pages will not continue on their respective hot streaks for the remainder of the season. But that is true for Freddie and Mookie and their slumps.
The Dodgers were going through a 29 game stretch in 32 games against teams with a .500+ winning percentage. They are now through that stretch, and are projected to have the easiest schedule going forth. Their injured pitchers are looking to rejoin the team. Things are bright for the good guys.
IMO, this is proof positive that AF is a master at building 40 man rosters and manipulating them. They are a depth oriented 40 man roster with players who have played at or are more than capable of playing and succeeding at the MLB level. Not to the elite level that some expect, but for every year that AF has been constructing rosters for the Dodgers, no team can compare.
The Dodgers have trotted out pitchers that were needed to just get through games. Noah Davis, Yoendrys Gómez, José Ureña, Chris Stratton, JP Feyereisen, Ryan Loutos, Jack Little, Matt Sauer. And now, all but Davis, Little, and Sauer are gone.. They were never expected to be needed for more than a couple of innings. Some were expecting AF to come up with a Mariano Rivera or Dennis Eckersley in April (yes a little hyperbole on the names). While Davis looks to be a clear favorite for DFA, I expect to see Little and Sauer on the 40 man for a while. If not, there is going to be some pretty good pitchers in their stead.
While I preached patience when the Dodgers were muddling through, never expecting the team to collapse, I am not about to crown LAD the World Champions. The Dodgers will go into another tailspin and that will bring out all of the “I told you so, doomsdayer, Chicken Little the sky is falling” fans. And when that happens, this is what we will hear:
Starters for the weekend series with KC.
Friday – Dustin May vs LHSP Noah Cameron
Saturday – Shohei Ohtani/Ben Casparius vs RHSP Seth Lugo
Sunday – Justin Wrobleski(?) vs LHSP Chris Bubic
KC has outstanding pitching, both starters and relievers. It is their offense that is troublesome for them.
The Dodgers will probably have to look at manufacturing runs, and KC’s Kauffman Stadium is the 2nd hardest park for HR (2nd to SFG’s Oracle). All three starters for KC this weekend are good, so it will be interesting to see what the LAD top of the order can do against them in the 1st inning.
The Dodgers have 15 games before the All Star game.
No Complaints from me anymore. The Dodgers are clearly better than the Padres, Giants, Dbacks, and almost every other team in MLB.
If they can straighten out the pitching, then they have a great chance to repeat come October.
Nobody wants the sky to be falling Jeff, and while yes Friedman is very good at what he does, this is not the easy path to regular season success. It’s a struggle. It’s not knowing who is starting from game to game, or knowing who is pitching from inning to inning.
But a win is a win is a win. I would prefer an easier path, but the results are there. As long as they win, I’m good.
“As long as they win, I’m good.”
Truer words are rarely spoken.
I would prefer a 150-12 regular season as well, 😎
Then again some would complain about the 12 losses.
we lost 5 of those 12 games due to Doc’s stupid bullpen games. Fire him already.
Gotta love it when a plan starts to come together. Freddie won’t be down for long.
Every season in MLB has microcosms. Is there anyone playing today that doesn’t slump for short periods? Also, this isn’t yesteryear where players played 162 games. Now iron men play 150.
The Dodgers have planned on their season lasting longer than every other team but one in all of baseball. In order to finish a season that long a team needs a lot of depth. It may not have looked like it with so many pitchers going down early but it’s almost as if Friedman knew exactly what was going to happen. Four frontline starters (and a few others) down and a 6 game lead? That’s nuts.
I didn’t see this coming. I kinda figured a limping .500 going into the second half. Shame on me. This team is a juggernaut.
You’re crazy
Max deserves to finish the year with the Dodgers. But I want Freeland on the left side with Betts next year.
Conforto would fit right in with KC.
Speaking if the last 30 days, Outman also has signaled he might hit better than Conforto.
Conforto would clobber AAA pitching. I think.
I’ve bitten my tongue every time a poster here suggests we dump Miggy Ro in order to clear roster space. I’m admittedly a huge Miggy fan but again he’s under appreciated. I know he isn’t hitting as well as he did last season but he has played less. But it’s ironic that he’s still 30 points higher than fan favorite Kike an nobody has suggested he be cut lose. Oh, yeah, Miggy lacks value because he doesn’t play the outfield. He’s just the best defensive infielder on the club.
The double play he started, 5-4-3, was a thing of beauty. And you may have notice that Edman crossed over the bag on the turn to cut the distance, something that Lux never did.
Miggy will be gone next year, most likely and I guarantee we will miss his glove and leadership.
I agree that this run has been very impressive.
I still think Snell and Glasnow are key for the Post Season and neither are back yet. There’s a lot of Baseball to be played.