The Dodgers struggled to score during July, which led to more losses than wins, which is rare around these parts.
The Dodgers swept their first series of the month and won their final series in July, but otherwise found rough sledding that added more losses to the ledger than wins.
Their seven-game losing streak during the month is their longest of the season. The Dodgers were swept by the Astros at home, and were swept by the Brewers twice in a two-week span.
In all the Dodgers won 10 and lost 14 in July, and they were equal opportunists, going 5-7 at home and 5-7 on the road.
July was just the second losing baseball month for the Dodgers during the last seven regular seasons, along with last July. This month featured a .417 winning percentage that was the Dodgers’ worst in any month since May 2013.
The Dodgers in May 2013 were 10-17 (.370), their worst May record in the history of the franchise. You might remember that month for when I wrote, “Stick a fork in the 2013 Dodgers. They are dead.”
That team won the division by 11 games, and they haven’t missed the playoffs since.
July results
10-14 record
91 runs scored (3.79 per game, 26th in MLB)
114 runs allowed (4.75 per game, 18th in MLB)
.398 pythagorean win percentage (10-14)
Year to date
63-46 record
568 runs scored (5.21 per game, 2nd in MLB)
501 runs allowed (4.60 per game, 23rd in MLB)
.557 pythagorean win percentage (61-48)
The offense disappearing was the main culprit for the subpar month, scoring two or fewer runs nine times in 24 games. Missing a red-hot Max Muncy hurt, as he injured his knee in the second game of the month.
Through the end of June, the Dodgers led the majors in runs scored per game but in July they ranked 26th.
Andy Pages, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernández each had an OPS that started with a six, while Mookie Betts was at .586 and Tommy Edman .489.
Will Smith was great, hitting .349/.461/.587 with four home runs and a 194 wRC+. Miguel Rojas had a 138 wRC+ and .841 OPS with three home runs and three doubles in July, almost matching his extra-base hit total (eight) for the first three months.
Michael Conforto had his best month of the season, hitting .273/.342/.485 with a 132 wRC+.
Rotation mixed bag
Tyler Glasnow returned from the injured list and was effective, as he and Yoshinobu Yamamoto had ERAs in the twos. So did Shohei Ohtani, albeit only in 11 innings, but with 14 strikeouts.
Clayton Kershaw did not win any of his four starts and struck out only 10.8 percent of his batters faced. Though in his first start of the month he did notch his 3,000th career strikeout.
Dustin May had a 5.48 ERA in his four appearances, and as the odd man out in the rotation was shipped off to Boston on the final day of the month.
Swipe left
The three relief pitchers who had the most appearances during July also had the best numbers, and all are left-handed. Anthony Banda, Jack Dreyer, and Alex Vesia combined for a 1.56 ERA and 28.8-percent strikeout rate in 34⅔ innings, helping hold the bullpen together.
Previous monthly reviews: April | May | June
The month ahead
American League opponents are lined up to face the Dodgers for three of the first four series of August, but then divisional play kicks in again, with series against the Padres (twice), Rockies, and Diamondbacks on the back stretch of the month.
In August the Dodgers play 15 games at home and 13 games on the road. One of those road series is against the Angels from August 11-13, and surrounded by home series, so some Dodgers can sleep in their own beds for a two-week stretch from this Sunday night through the series finale against the Padres on August 17.