The Dodgers are not exactly storming toward the finish line right now. They are sleepwalking.
They have built an 11-game lead, turned the division race into a cakewalk, and seem to be playing with the urgency of a team waiting for October to arrive. The edge is missing. The intensity comes and goes. At times, they look less like a hungry championship club and more like a veteran team trying to get through the dog days without spilling its coffee.
That is the luxury of an 11-game cushion. A bad series is not a crisis. A sloppy loss does not tighten the standings. Nobody is breathing down their necks, so the Dodgers can stumble, experiment, rest players, juggle the bullpen, and still wake up the next morning comfortably in first place.
But sleepwalking can become a habit.
The Dodgers do not need to play postseason baseball in July, but they do need to maintain their sharpness. The word is that championship teams cannot simply flip a switch because the calendar says October. The division may be a cakewalk, but the postseason will be a knife fight. I disagree – they can flip the switch when necessary.
Right now, the Dodgers are cruising down an empty freeway with the lead foot lifted off the gas. They are still heading toward the destination. The only question is whether they will be fully awake when they get there. Hang on – it might be a wild ride.
Rants & Raves
- Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and River Ryan are options for the rotation – I think only two make it. Which two is the question?
- Landon Knack may shock us… or be the guy we thought he was.
- The returns of Kike Hernandez and Edwin Diaz will energize the club.
- I have a sneaking feeling that we might see Josue DePaula or Mike Sirota in LA THIS year! Yes, THIS YEAR!
- Dalton Rushing is getting baptized by fire! He will be better for it!
- If Tommy Edman stays healthy, there are no worries.
- Sheehan & Sasaki – One will make, and one will break. Who? I’ll tell you after the season is over.
OKC Comets 8 – El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego) 0
This was a true bullpen game. OKC used 9 pitchers, pitching 1.0 innings each. They pitched a combined shutout, allowing 2 singles, 3 walks, and struck out 9.
OKC scored a pair of runs in the 4th when LF Zach Ehrhard doubled (19) and followed with DH Ryan Ward’s 2 run HR (9).
In the 6th, Ehrhard singled. On a ground out, Ehrhard moved to 2nd, and scored on Ward’s RBI single. 1B James Tibbs III singled, and RF Jack Suwinski singled to score Ward.
In the 8th, JTIII singled and moved to 3rd on Suwinski’s double (24). SS Noah Miller singled home JTIII and Suwinski to 3rd. 2B Austin Gauthier slugged a 3-run HR, for the eventual 8-0 win.
- Zach Ehrhard – 3-3, 2 runs, double (19)
- Ryan Ward – 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI HR (9)
- James Tibbs III – 3-4, 1 run
- Jack Suwinski – 3-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (24)
- Austin Gauthier – 1-4, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (4)
Springfield Cardinals 3 – Tulsa Drillers 1
The piggyback tag team of RHSP Christian Zazueta and LHRP Wyatt Crowell was pitching in the second game of the week series. Zazueta completed 3.0 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits, and 3 K. He did not walk a batter.
Tulsa scored in the 1st without a hit. DH Taylor Young led off with a BB. RF Zyhir Hope was HBP. Young moved to 3rd on a ground out. Young scored when Hope was picked off and thrown out at 2nd.
In the 3rd, Zazueta allowed a single and double. The lead runner scored on a ground ball.
Crowell entered in the 4th and completed 3.0 scoreless innings. In the 7th, he allowed a 1 out BB, and a 2 out BB. A double scored both runners.
LHRP Christian Suarez and RHRP Antonio Knowles finished the last 2.1 innings without allowing a run. Combined they allowed 1 single.
- 1B Kyle Nevin – 2-3, 1 BB
- LF Kole Myers – 2-4
- C Frank Rodriguez – 1-3, 1 BB, double (5)
Great Lakes Loons 6 – Dayton Dragons (Reds) 1
RHRP Isaac Ayon started his 2nd game this year. He completed 3.2 IP, surrendering 1 run on 4 hits, 2 BB, and 1K. The Dragons scored 1st in the 2nd inning. A one out walk, and the runner scored on a 2 out double.
GL tied it up in the bottom of the second inning. SS Eduardo Guerrero drew a BB and moved to 3rd on a single by RF Samuel Munoz. Guerrero scored on 1B Cameron Decker’s SF.
The Loons scored 3 in the 3rd. With 2 outs, CF Eduardo Quintero walked and scored on a double (4) from 3B Chase Harlan. 2B Logan Wagner followed with a 2-run HR (11).
Wagner hit his 2nd HR (12) in the 6th. In the 7th, LF Charles Davalan hit a solo HR (12).
4 Loons relievers completed 5.1 scoreless innings. The remarkable thing was that RHRP Reynaldo Yean and RHRP Alex Makarewich both pitched 1.0 innings without walking a batter.
- Logan Wagner – 2-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, 2 HR (12)
- Charles Davalan – 1-4, 1 run, 1 HR, HR (12)
- Chase Harlan – 1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (4)
Ontario Tower Buzzers 4 – Inland Empire 66ers (Seattle) 2
RHSP Brady Smith was making his 2nd start of the week against Inland Empire. He completed 3.0 innings after 5.2 innings on Tuesday.
Smith gave up a HR to the first batter of the game, for the only run he allowed in this game.
RHRP Luis Carias finished the final 6.0 innings. He also gave up a solo HR in the 5th for the only run he allowed.
With 2 out in the bottom of the 5th, CF Jaron Elkins hit his 13th HR of the year.
With two outs in the 6th, SS Joendry Vargas and LF Brendan Tunink singled. C Conner O’Neal singled to score both Vargas and Tunink.
DH Easton Shelton hit his 26th HR for the final run of the 4-2 victory.
- Jaron Elkins – 2-4,1 run, 1 RBI, HR (13)
- Brendan Tunink – 2-3, 1 run
- Easton Shelton – 1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (26)
Discussion (86)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Jordan Walker of StL was spectacular in that final round of the HR Derby.
That was fun to watch!
I have been out most of the day, but here’s what I think about the Dodgers’ current state of affairs:
(Sarcasm Alert)
The Dodgers are finished.
Pack it up. Cancel October. Melt down the trophies.
After winning back-to-back championships, posting the best record in baseball, and becoming the favorite to win a third straight World Series, they have committed the unforgivable crime of looking bored in July.
Apparently, a championship team must play every regular-season game with the emotional intensity of Game 7. Anything less means the manager has lost the clubhouse, the players do not care, and the entire organization needs to be dismantled before Tuesday.
Never mind that they are miles ahead of everyone else. Never mind that baseball has a 162-game schedule. Never mind that the real objective is to be healthy, rested, and dangerous in October.
No, the Dodgers must dive headfirst into the dugout after every foul ball, hold emergency team meetings after every loss, and celebrate beating a last-place team like they just stormed Normandy.
Are they in a malaise? Probably.
That tends to happen when you have conquered the league twice and the rest of baseball is still trying to find the mountain.
The Dodgers do not need to prove they can dominate July.
They need to make sure they are still standing when October starts handing out knives.
So criticize away. Declare the dynasty dead after every three-game losing streak. Demand trades, firings, demotions, séances, and a complete reconstruction of the bullpen.
Then, when the Dodgers are playing deep into October again, everyone can pretend they believed in them all along.
Peace Out… which is better than Peace Off! 😉
You were talking about Bo Jackson, with whom I have a lot in common… OK… not that much, but we both had our hips replaced! 😉
I have never seen this before… or since!
Luis Gamez
This too shall pass!!! And all will be forgotten when we have the next 8 wins in 10 game stretch.
No he doesn’t! I wish a couple of more players on this team would be more like Freddie! He’ll. Maybe a couple of snapped bats wouldn’t hurt either!
I really enjoy watching the players interact with each other during home run derby, and the ones with their kids! But I sure as hell ain’t purchasing Netflix for something that used to cost nothing extra on cable.
You can’t tell me that having a bad game doesn’t eat at Freddie Freeman. You can see it on his face, and sorry to contradict anyone, he never takes a play or an at bat off. He is the epitome of a pro’s pro.
Gawlowski on the Futures Game:
Josue De Paula, RF, Los Angeles Dodgers
For better or worse, De Paula is a low-motor player. He was in first gear throughout BP and outfield work, and then drifted slowly in on a popup down the left field line in the first inning (which, if nothing else, left space for Luis Peña to track it down and make the play of the day). De Paula hit a single fairly hard during the game, and if he does that often enough, nobody will care a bit about his step count.
Like this Dodger team, I too need a break. I never have an interest in the Home Run Derby anymore. All sizzle and no steak to me. And being on Netflix makes me decision that much easier. Same with the All-Star game itself. The pomp and circumstance is way over the top.
So, it’s a great time for a long break from baseball. Something I haven’t taken since Spring Training started.
I’m really sick of the sloppy play and lackadaisical performances. Muncy’s forgotten how to play catch while going 1 for 13, The relief pitches continue to walk too many. Sheehan and Henriquez show flashes of the pitchers they could be and then just lose it, from one inning to the next.
The most interesting thing is waiting for Eliezer Alfonso to get his first hit.
I’ve heard all of the reasons why these games don’t matter. And to be honest, I’m sick of hearing it. It’s not panic on my part. It’s frustration. Why bother if no games matter until October?
Badger hit the nail right on the head when he said “Must be nice to be on “cruise control” at work. I never had a job where I could do that.” Me neither.
I don’t want my joint replacement surgeon to be on cruise control when I get a new knee. I don’t want my airline caption to be mailing it in. Like professional baseball players, these people are paid handsomely and should be held to a high standard and expections to their patients, customers and fans.
Why should players with a nice cushion play like they give a shit; it’s called PRIDE.
And if you took a poll, the true professionals are never satisfied with lousy performances and being on cruise control because of pride.
Rough patches are to be expected but I don’t have to excuse it or like it.
Get your shit together over the break and play better on the next road trip. This is embarrassing.
I got to see Bo Jackson play multiple times in KC. The last time was the summer of 1989, which was the last summer before my son played HS. Andy loved Jackson, and a family member arranged for him to meet Jackson. Was he a better athlete than Jim Thorpe? Dave Winfield? Jackson was a MLB All Star and a NFL Pro Bowler.
He played baseball with a football mentality so I agree he may never have stayed hearlthy enough. He got to play the full MLB season as Al Davis said baseball could be his priority, and he did not have to report to the Raiders until his KC season was over. We will never know if Jackson would have been a MLB HOF, but I sure enjoyed watching him play. He was a career sub .800 OPS hitter, and 112 OPS+
I don’t believe he could have stayed healthy long enough to have a hall of fame career. Just my opinion. He was unique though. One of the greatest athletes ever.
Freddie and Max both could use the rest over the break. But you ain’t dragging them out of that lineup!
I know the center fielder is in charge of the outfield, but do any of you think that Tucker or Teo get a little miffed when Andy just completely takes over the whole outfield on fly balls? Just wondering.
I should have said piggybacking when Snell comes back. I realize they are staying on a six man rotation. Tough crowd!
Question for our panel. I just watched some old videos of Bo Jackson when he was with the Royals including his first homer which traveled 475 feet and was the longest homer ever at Royals Stadium. How many of you think Bo would have been a Hall of Famer as a baseball player had he just focused on baseball? He was a tremendous athlete.
When you look at the hitting numbers at OKC do you need to take at least 100 points off the OPS to get a more realistic picture? Maybe more.
I sure hope Ward gets moved at the deadline to give him a shot with another organization. No room at the inn here.
Former Dodger Hector Valle passed away at 85-years old. For those of you who never heard of the guy, he played in 9 games for LA in 1965. He went 4-13, .308. scored a run and drove in 2. Those were his only MLB appearances. He played for 12 seasons in the minors, and he also played 7 seasons in the Mexican League. He played in the Dodger system from 1960-67. From 67-71 he toiled in the systems of the Mets, Tigers and Royals. He was a native of Puerto Rico. He passed on June 6th of this year. RIP
Why not piggyback Sheehan and Sasaki? Emmit is good for 4 . Sasaki has trouble in the early innings, but somehow finishes fairly strong. Perfect combination don’t you think?
I understand it’s a grind, but losing 3 at home against the dbacks? 8 total runs in 3 games? Defense was absolutely awful. Even Pages had a brain fart! I know, it happens. But going into the break like this? And 9 games coming up in which the Dodgers could easily lose 6, or easily win 6. Remember, mediocre pitchers turn into Koufax when they pitch against the Dodgers!
Speaking of Sheehan, is it tiredness or just that he can’t get past 4-5 innings? Either way, it’s working the crap out of the bullpen. He and Sasaki are wearing down their pitching buddies.
Netflix tonight for the home run derby? Thanks MLB! I guess it’s gunsmoke reruns!
Saw Dino Ebel will be throwing to Bryce Harper tonight in the HR Derby. Kinda cool for Harper to pick Dino. Somehow they have a connection in the WBC and when Bryce was a teenager in Vegas. Link below
https://dodgerblue.com/dino-ebel-honored-to-pitch-to-bryce-harper-in-home-run-derby/2026/07/13/
Won’t be watching it though since it’s on Netflix. What a business model these major sports have come up with by making the consumers have to buy all these platforms for them to watch some of the games biggest events.
Must be nice to be on “cruise control” at work. I never had a job where I could do that. And in the small business I ran if anyone who worked for me slacked off they were issued a warning.
Only the Dodgers in the West have a positive R/DIFF. That’s not likely to change in the last 65 games but I suppose it could. The Padres and dbacks will both be chasing a Wild Card berth so I expect them to be aggressive at the deadline.
It’s sad to see where Betts finds himself at this point in his career. His .9 oWAR suggests it will finish even less than last year’s, and his dWAR has fallen too. Some of his decline can be attributed to age, but I still maintain the position change changed everything. Would it had been different if he would have remained in RF where he was a perennial All Star? We’ll never know.
What to expect from late July on? As temperatures continue to rise across the country I expect more cruise control through August. Can they put up the best record while cruising? Sure they can. Will they? Iontkno. Nobody does really. Shohei is now 32. The graphs say the downward progression has begun. But he’s definitely an outlier. He’s also showing wear. I would advise caution the rest of the way. The core position players range in age from 31-36. Load management? Yeah, I think it a good idea. And in fact, it’s already in play. Looking out to October many key players will have had considerably shortened seasons. Sure hope the R&R works out well for the team.
From AI:
“Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect River Ryan is currently on the minor-league 7-day injured list at Triple-A Oklahoma City due to a hamstring strain. Here is where things stand with his recovery and timeline:
The Setback: Ryan suffered the hamstring injury during his June 26 Triple-A start. This is a frustrating re-injury, as the exact same hamstring cost him about a month of action earlier in the season (from mid-April to mid-May).
Severity: Dodgers General Manager Brandon Gomes described the issue as “not anything overly serious.” Ryan has been allowed to keep throwing to maintain his arm strength, but he is strictly prohibited from throwing off a mound until the hamstring fully heals.
The Impact on the Dodgers: Before this latest injury, Ryan was pitching incredibly well at Triple-A—sitting in the upper 90s with his fastball—and was widely considered the “next man up” to join the injury-depleted MLB starting rotation. This setback has pushed his big-league timeline back significantly. The organization is continuing to treat him with extreme caution, especially since he missed the 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers will give him plenty of time to get 100% healthy before ramping him back up for a potential call-up”.
The Dodgers have a very difficult upcoming nine game road trip ahead starting this Friday in the Bronx with 3 games against the hated Yankees,three against the Phillies and lastly three in Queens against the Mets. Hopefully they get their heads out their proverbial asses and play competitive baseball once again. The All Star Break could NOT have come a more opportune time.
Betts and Freddie didn’t show up yesterday and Max shouldn’t have. By the 6rh inning he was wishing the game would end without another ball hit to him. We all have bad days that suck. Very surprised at the Dodgers announcing pair beating up the team for no fire, but I’m okay with that. Lackluster 3 games against the snakes.
Don’t see management starting the clock on DePaula and Sirota when they can give Tibbs, Suwinski or Erdhard a cup of coffee before they trade them.
Be it consciously or subconsciously, collectively as a team or individually, the proverbial switch can always be flippen flipped. Oh and Landon Knack will once again eat precious innings and get some more bling. Nobody who dons
the Blue sucks. Bet it and……
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