Season At A Glance
The Dog Days of Summer
Every baseball season has a point where even the best clubs begin to look less than ordinary.
For the Dodgers, that stretch has developed an uncanny habit of arriving during the dog days of summer.
Los Angeles enters this weekend's series in Arizona carrying a six-game losing streak after being swept by both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers have not won since defeating the Seattle Mariners on July 30 and have watched what was once an 11½-game lead in the National League West shrink to eight games. Suddenly, a weekend series against the Diamondbacks carries considerably more weight than anyone imagined just two weeks ago.
Before Dodger fans begin reaching for the panic button—or Dodger detractors begin planning the parade—it is worth remembering that this isn't unfamiliar territory.
The Dodgers have walked this road before.
The summer of 2024 tested the club in much the same way. July became the low point of the season as Los Angeles stumbled to an 11-13 record while injuries ravaged the roster. Mookie Betts landed on the injured list, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were sidelined, Freddie Freeman missed time because of a family emergency, and the pitching staff struggled to find stability. The Dodgers lost six of seven games around the All-Star break, and suddenly the questions sounded very familiar.
Was the rotation good enough?
Had the injuries finally caught up with them?
Were the Dodgers vulnerable?
Then came August.
The Dodgers responded by going 19-8, outscoring opponents by 37 runs, regaining control of the National League West and eventually finishing 98-64 before marching all the way to another World Series championship.
One year later, history offered an eerily similar script.
The 2025 Dodgers endured another midsummer slide, posting a 10-14 record in July while once again trying to navigate injuries throughout both the rotation and bullpen. Max Muncy missed significant time, starting pitchers shuffled between Los Angeles and the injured list, and fans openly wondered whether the defending champions had finally run out of answers.
August wasn't nearly as spectacular as the previous season, but it became the month where the club steadied itself. The Dodgers played 9-8 baseball through the heart of the month, the pitching stabilized, reinforcements gradually returned, and the season regained its footing. They finished the regular season 93-69, captured another National League West title and ultimately hoisted a second consecutive World Series trophy.
Does any of that guarantee the Dodgers are about to win a third straight World Series?
Certainly not.
History doesn't guarantee championships.
It simply provides perspective.
Manager Dave Roberts was asked after Wednesday's series sweep in Chicago whether the similarities between this season and last had crossed his mind.
"Certainly the results of last year are the same as what we are going through right now," Roberts said. "I don't think the guys are putting too much weight on what happened last year. And last year ended up pretty well."
That may be the healthiest way to view the current six-game skid.
The Dodgers are not entitled to another championship because they survived similar stretches the past two seasons. At the same time, neither does one difficult week erase four months of baseball or suddenly transform one of the National League's best clubs into an average one.
This season presents challenges neither 2024 nor 2025 faced. More teams remain firmly in the playoff picture than ever before, creating meaningful baseball in nearly every clubhouse across the league. Every opponent has something tangible to play for. Every series carries greater urgency. The target on the Dodgers' backs has never been larger.
Arizona is the next club hoping to take its turn.
Arizona now provides the Dodgers with an immediate opportunity to change the narrative. A strong weekend restores much of the breathing room they recently enjoyed atop the National League West. Another difficult series, however, would turn what once looked like a comfortable division race into a very interesting August..
That is how quickly fortunes can change in August.
For Dodger fans, it may be wise to keep a respectful distance from the panic button.
For Dodger detractors, by all means enjoy the current skid while it lasts.
If the past two championship seasons have taught us anything, it is that the Dodgers have developed an annoying habit of looking ordinary during the Dog Days Of Summer before reminding everyone why October—not August—is the month that ultimately defines a baseball season.
