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The Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves in an unexpectedly tight National League West battle. After a months-long lead, their cushion has dwindled to just one game over the surging San Diego Padres. As of mid-August, the Dodgers are 68-51 and clinging to first place. This is the closest a challenger has been this late in a Dodgers division race in years, and it comes on the heels of a troubling month for Los Angeles.
Since July 3, the Dodgers have played sub-.500 baseball (12-19), while the Padres caught fire at 21-12 in that span. San Diego aggressively upgraded its roster at the trade deadline, plugging weak links with five trades involving 22 players, whereas Los Angeles made only marginal moves. The result: a once-comfortable lead has nearly evaporated. Manager Dave Roberts has acknowledged the urgency, saying, “It’s gotten a lot more interesting. We’ve got to go out there and play good baseball… no more middling.”To recapture momentum and win the NL West, the Dodgers must address several key areas immediately. Below are the two or three most critical strategies Los Angeles should focus on down the stretch.
Reinforce and manage the pitching staff
Pitching has been the backbone of the Dodgers’ success, but injuries and fatigue have eroded that strength. The starting rotation is finally regaining form with ace-level reinforcements: Blake Snell recently returned after a four-month IL stint and dominated with 10 strikeouts in five scoreless innings, and Tyler Glasnow has looked excellent since coming back in July (a 2.17 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over his first five starts back).
The Dodgers should capitalize on these healthy arms by aligning the rotation to have Snell and Glasnow pitch as many key games as possible, especially in the six head-to-head games against San Diego over the next two weeks. In contrast, rookie sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto appears to be hitting a wall. He’s logged a team-high 126⅔ innings, far above his previous workload, and his effectiveness suffers on standard rest (3.16 ERA on five days vs. a stellar 1.40 ERA with six or more days off).
To keep Yamamoto effective through September, the Dodgers should consider giving him extra rest or skipping an occasional turn – a justified move given that he was unable to finish five innings for the 4th time in 23 starts on Monday. Using a spot starter or opener in Yamamoto’s place occasionally could pay dividends in keeping him fresh.
The bullpen is an even bigger concern. Los Angeles did not acquire a proven closer at the deadline, and that decision is proving costly for a beleaguered relief corps. Dodger relievers have absorbed the most innings in baseball this yearlatimes.com, a byproduct of short starts and injuries, and it’s showing: three of the team’s last six losses have come via a reliever taking the loss in a blown game.
The Dodgers must stabilize the back end of the bullpen by finding a closer internally. Veteran Blake Treinen is back from the IL but looked rusty (he surrendered back-to-back homers in an Aug. 10 collapse). Lefty Alex Vesia was pressed into a ninth-inning role but also gave up a decisive homer. With no clear ninth-inning man, one option is to elevate fireballing prospect Bobby Miller into a late-inning role; Miller has been lights-out in relief lately (retiring 18 of 19 batters across 6 hitless innings in his last 5 outings).
The Dodgers are also expecting reinforcements in the coming weeks – Michael Kopech, Tanner Scott, and Kirby Yates are all due to come off the IL before September. Los Angeles needs to fast-track whichever of these arms looks sharpest into high-leverage spots. Until then, Roberts may have to mix and match based on matchups, even if it means using starters in relief in do-or-die situations (a formula that clinched their last two titles).
The bottom line: for the Dodgers to maintain their division lead, their pitching staff must be optimized – give the rotation proper rest and tighten up the bullpen roles – so that late-game meltdowns do not squander winnable games.
Jump-Start the offense and tweak the lineup
On paper, the Dodgers’ lineup is as fearsome as any. They lead the National League in runs scored and rank near the top in home runs and OPS. However, the offense has underperformed in key moments recently, and consistency is lacking. Case in point: in a 5-4 loss to Toronto, Dodger hitters left 16 men on base, failing to capitalize despite loading the bases three times. Such squandered opportunities cannot continue with the pennant race tightening.
A major boost is the return of slugger Max Muncy, who was activated in early August after a month on the IL. Muncy immediately provided a spark with a three-run homer in Monday’s game, and getting his power bat (36 HR in 2024) back in the heart of the order is “a huge help” for Los Angeles.
The Dodgers need Muncy, along with superstars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, to set the tone offensively and drive in runs when opportunities arise. Additionally, Shohei Ohtani has been carrying the offense with an MVP-caliber season (he crushed his 42nd homer of the year Monday). Ensuring Ohtani continues to get high-leverage at-bats – and perhaps giving him an occasional day off from the field to keep him fresh as a DH – will be key, as his presence changes the game for opposing pitchers.The National League West race has tightened, but the Dodgers’ fate is still in their hands.
By shoring up their pitching (ensuring the bullpen doesn’t implode and that the rotation’s best arms are primed for the big games), by reigniting an offense that has all the pieces but needs consistency, and by smartly leveraging their depth and experience, the Dodgers can fend off San Diego’s charge. It won’t be easy – the Padres have all the confidence of a team on the rise, and they’ll be head-to-head with L.A. in what feels like playoff baseball in August.
However, if the Dodgers make these key adjustments and play to their capabilities, they have the talent to maintain their lead and capture another NL West crown. The next few weeks will test Los Angeles’ resolve, but the blueprint for winning the division is clear – now it’s about execution on the field when it matters most. With the Padres “nipping at the Dodgers’ heels”, the Dodgers simply must play their best baseball of the season – there’s no margin for error left, but there is a path to victory. The ball is in their court (or rather, in their glove).
