The Los Angeles Dodgers haven't been playing like a playoff-caliber team as of late, especially against teams with a record below .500. But at the very least, they did take a 3-1 win at home on Monday against the hapless Colorado Rockies, the team with the worst record in MLB. This was their second win in a row, and perhaps this is where they start stringing together a bunch of wins so they could seal the NL West crown and carry over a bit of momentum heading into the postseason.

What powered the Dodgers' 3-1 win was their excellent pitching; Tyler Glasnow and Blake Treinen combined to no-hit the Rockies through the first eight innings, striking out a total of 12 batters. The game wasn't without its fair share of drama; Glasnow did end up allowing a run despite not allowing a hit since he did put two runners on base via walk. Moreover, Tanner Scott lost the combined no-hit bid when he allowed a leadoff double during the top of the ninth inning — but he proceeded to bounce back and record the final three outs of the game.

While the pitching did its job, the Dodgers' offense continued to have a bit of a rough patch. The offense mustered all of four hits on the night, but they at least made their at-bats count when it mattered — with Mookie Betts driving in two runs with a single in the seventh to give the Dodgers the lead.

But this level of play simply isn't good enough for a team looking to defend their World Series crown, and Betts, as a result, issued a major callout towards himself and the rest of the Dodgers' hitters.

“The offense has to pull our weight. We did okay today but we have to be a lot better,” Betts told SportsNet LA's Kirsten Watson after the game.

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Dodgers offense can run hot and cold

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) reacts after a called strike during the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It speaks volumes to just how high the standard the Dodgers have set for themselves is that, despite scoring a total of 722 runs on the year, they still have a lot of room to grow. There is simply so much talent for the Dodgers all around the diamond that these quiet nights that they have from the plate, especially against bad teams, don't have to happen as often as they do.

But for now, the Dodgers have to be content that their offense held their own and did enough to give them a much-needed win to keep the San Diego Padres at bay in the NL West standings.