The Dodgers looked like they were cruising toward another division crown and the luxury of a first-round bye. Instead, they’ve hit a rough patch at exactly the wrong time, dropping eight of their last 11 games entering play on Wednesday. That skid has even pushed Dave Roberts to describe his club as a wild-card team.
Right now, the National League West still isn’t in danger of slipping away. But if the standings hold, the Dodgers would be hosting the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card round, and that’s where the trouble starts.
The biggest issue is obvious before the first pitch is even thrown: there’s no off day in a three-game Wild Card series. That strips Roberts of the chance to line up his pitching the way he’d want for the NLDS. And beyond that scheduling wrinkle, the Dodgers have a playoff problem baked into their offense.
For all the star power in that lineup, Los Angeles has been ground-ball bait all season. The Dodgers have grounded into 100 double plays, the most in baseball. Last year, they finished with 108, so unless this trend gets corrected quickly, they’re on pace to blow past that total.
Teoscar Hernández just grounded into the Dodgers' 100th double play of the season, most in the majors.
- Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) August 11, 2026
That kind of inning-killer can wreck a rally in a hurry. In October, when every out gets magnified and defense takes center stage, it becomes even more dangerous.
And the Phillies are built to make that problem worse. Their staff has a 44.9% ground-ball rate, the second-highest in baseball. On top of that, Christopher Sanchez and Jesús Luzardo both carry ground-ball rates above 50%, while Zack Wheeler is striking out more than 30% of the hitters he faces.
That’s the kind of matchup that can turn a short series into a headache fast. For the Dodgers, a Wild Card showdown with Philadelphia would bring a tough draw and a very real chance for their biggest offensive flaw to show up at the worst possible moment.
In Other News...
Dodgers Are Stuck With A Brutal Ninth Inning Problem
The Dodgers late-inning troubles were on display again when Edwin Daz let a save opportunity slip away, turning another tight game into a loss and underscoring just how fragile the ninth inning has become. It was his fourth blown save of the season, another rough step in a comeback that has been complicated by the aftereffects of elbow surgery and the pressure that comes with being asked to close games for a contender.
Dave Roberts is still backing Daz in the role for now, even if the situation feels more like a compromise than a solution. Daz has admitted the difficulties and said he is prepared to handle whatever role the team decides, which leaves the Dodgers leaning on a closer they trust less than they would like while searching for stability they have not yet found. [Read more 🡒]
Freddie Freemans Dodgers Absence Will Have Fans Watching One Thing
Freddie Freeman will be out of the Dodgers lineup Friday, giving Los Angeles a rare pause from one of its most dependable bats as the club navigates the stretch run. The absence comes with a little extra attention because of Freemans recent tumble into the dugout against the Royals, but the off day had already been planned and is not tied to that play.
Freeman played in the game after the fall and was cleared by the team after reporting only soreness, which is part of why this one is worth watching from the outside. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has pointed to Freemans leadership and his willingness to push through discomfort, so even a routine day off can draw a closer look when a veteran centerpiece has been dealing with anything physical. [Read more 🡒]
Edwin Diaz Is Fueling A Dodgers Debate Fans Feared
Edwin Daz was supposed to give the Dodgers a late-inning anchor when they signed him to a multi-year deal, but the first stretch of his 2026 season has done the opposite. Since coming back from the injured list on July 29, he has been tagged for a 12.71 ERA over 5.2 innings, and the bigger picture is not much kinder with an 11.57 mark in 11.2 innings overall.
For a club that expects to win every night, that kind of volatility turns the ninth inning into a conversation instead of a formality. The criticism has already started to build, including from USA Todays Josh Peter, who questioned whether Daz can be trusted in the closer role, and the Dodgers now have to sort out how long they can wait for the version of him they thought they were getting. [Read more 🡒]