'We've got to figure something out': Dodgers must start hitting -- or this World Series is over

With 2 connected and 2 retired successful Game 5's 4th inning, Tommy Edman took his champion plaything connected a Trey Yesavage slider that stayed supra the zone. Edman got conscionable nether it. The popup fell harmlessly into the mitt of Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez, halting an aboriginal menace against a budding ace who was conscionable opening to find his rhythm.

For weeks, the Los Angeles Dodgers' hitters had grown frustrated not conscionable by an wide deficiency of accumulation but by an inability to decorativeness rallies. Edman's popup was simply the latest example. The Dodgers did not spot different runner successful scoring presumption Wednesday night, continuing a prolonged inclination that has their play connected the brink and galore of their hitters confused.

Said Mookie Betts: "We've got to fig thing out."

With the urgency rising and his patience lacking, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made comparatively drastic changes to his lineup up of Game 5. Will Smith became the archetypal catcher successful 90 years to deed successful the No. 2 spot successful a World Series game, sliding Betts down to bat 3rd for the archetypal clip since 2021. Alex Call replaced the No. 9-hitting Andy Pages, who had managed conscionable 4 hits successful 50 at-bats successful these playoffs.

The changes did not work. The Dodgers struck retired 12 times and managed conscionable 3 hits successful 7 innings against Yesavage, losing a captious crippled and forcing themselves to person to triumph connected back-to-back nights successful Toronto to unafraid a championship.

On Wednesday, Yesavage's bid was sharp, his slider was hellacious, but the Dodgers' struggles widen mode beyond him. Since cruising past the Cincinnati Reds successful the wild-card round, their hitters are slashing a combined .214/.306/.360 successful 13 playoff games, during which they've produced a .544 OPS with runners successful scoring position. The Dodgers' 9 wins successful that agelong are a testament to a starting rotation that is unfairly being asked to bash it alone.

"It's hard for a pitching unit to person to spell each crippled uphill," inferior antheral Enrique Hernandez said. "We're not truly doing overmuch arsenic an offense. Whenever we get a chance, we don't capitalize. We're going done 1 of those funks close now; it's conscionable truly atrocious timing to person those successful the World Series."

The Dodgers suffered done a akin debased constituent astatine midseason. From July 4 to Aug. 13, erstwhile they went 12-21 and blew an eight-game part lead, they batted .235 and scored the majors' sixth-fewest runs per game. Eventually, they got right. And though their regular play was mostly underwhelming, the Dodgers approached October with the thought that their champion shot was up of them. It was a content buoyed by their starting pitching, ascendant capable to stifle immoderate opposing lineup and heavy capable to marque up for astir bullpen issues. But the discourtesy was expected to perform.

It seemed similar a given, until it wasn't.

"We've got a batch of guys who aren't blistery close now," Edman said, "aren't feeling their best."

It starts astatine the top.

In Game 5, the Nos. 1-4 hitters successful the Dodgers' lineup combined to spell 1-for-15 with 8 strikeouts.

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