Dont be fooled by Dodgers $1B offense theyre not worth that

Statistically, the Dodgers have one of the best offenses in baseball, if not the best offense in baseball.They lead the majors in OPS.They rank in the top two in the other major offensive categories: runs scored, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage.So why does it feel as if their lineup isn’t doing what the sport’s most expensive lineup should be doing? Why does it feel as if a disproportionate number of their at-bats are uncompetitive? Why does it feel as if they have played too many games that looked like the last two of their recently-completed series against the Miami Marlins?“We’ve kind of been going through it, I would say, as a group,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said.The Dodgers lost their three-game series against the Marlins, but they are still 20-11.As inconsistent as they are, even after a 3-2 loss in the series finale on Wednesday, they remained in first place in the National League West, still a half-game ahead of the San Diego Padres.“Luckily,” Freeman said, “we have really, really good pitching.

That’s why we’re kind of where we’re at right now.”To be clear, the feast-or-famine offense won’t cost the Dodgers the division or a place in the postseason.Over the five months remaining in the regular season, however, their lineup will have to evolve into one that can win games in October.They made such a transformation last year, and by the time the playoffs came around, their offense was relentless. That quality was a major reason why they won their second consecutive World Series, and that quality is what’s missing right now.What’s been particularly striking about the last couple of weeks are the number of easy innings opposing pitchers have enjoyed against them.“We’re just not getting a whole lot of opportunities,” Roberts said.Asked if the Dodgers were overly dependent on homers, Roberts said he didn’t think so, pointing to how their .273 average is second-best in the majors.But the number...