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It was the story of the Los Angeles Dodgers losing a home series to the Miami Marlins: Where are the bats when runs are needed most?
Ahead of the series opener at the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers’ daily notes broke down exactly that topic, pointing out that the inability to knock in runners has already cost the Boys in Blue multiple games.
The Dodgers boast perhaps the best hitting in baseball
It’s widely accepted that the Dodgers have the strongest roster in baseball, and why wouldn’t they?
At full strength, the Dodgers have future Hall of Famers in Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, as well as rising offensive stars like Dalton Rushing and Andy Pages.
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Apr 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) strikes out against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
It’s no wonder, then, that the Dodgers are either first or second in baseball in many of the most important statistical categories.
“The Dodgers lead the Major Leagues in batting average (.273), slugging percentage (.452), and OPS (.802) while ranking second in home runs (45), on-base percentage (.350), total bases (474) and hits (279),” the team explained.
It also tracks that the Dodgers’ 20-11 record (as of Friday afternoon) is tops in the division.
Still, though, something feels off with the Dodgers offense.
The Dodgers are struggling to knock runners home
All of that hitting, though, is not coming when it’s needed most.
Against Miami, the Dodgers hit below their normal average when runners were in scoring position, going 7-for-28, or .250, and the issues got worse from there.
“On Wednesday, Los Angeles had runners on third and less than two outs four different times, but managed a run one time,” the team said. “They were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and two outs. The Dodgers had eight runs on 22 hits in the Miami series, with a .220 batting average. The Dodgers have failed to homer in six of the last nine games, going 2-4 in those six games.”
That’s come through most clearly in one-run games, including both losses against the Marlins.
While the Dodgers are overall 5-4 in one-run games this year, they were 4-1 through April 14.
The past two-plus weeks? That record is 1-3.
Dodgers players and manager Dave Roberts have noticed the shift, which Roberts said started in the series against the Colorado Rockies April 17-20.
“It’s one of those things where hitting is definitely cyclical,” Roberts said earlier this week. “In total, we we’re at the top, near the top. The last 10 days, it just hasn’t been synced up. We just haven’t got those hits when we needed them.”
First baseman Freddie Freeman, who went 0-for-5 in that final matchup with the Marlins, credited the pitchers with keeping the Dodgers afloat as a team.
“We’ve kind of been going through it, I would say, as a group,” Freeman said. “Luckily, we have really, really good pitching. That’s why we’re kind of where we’re at right now.”
Fortunately for the Boys in Blue, though, they face a struggling Matthew Liberatore on the mound Friday night.
Do you think the Dodgers can snap out of their funk at the plate against the Cardinals this weekend?
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