The Dodgers snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Cardinals, lifting team morale after a tough period marked by poor performance and illness. Manager Dave Roberts noted a renewed sense of energy and pride among players.
Key points
Dodgers snapped a four-game losing streak
Team morale improved after a tough period
Up to 90% of the roster was affected by illness
New drop-kick celebration introduced
Players expressed renewed joy and energy
Los Angeles DodgersSt. Louis Cardinals
ST. LOUIS â For the last two weeks, the Dodgers hadnât felt good.
Both at the plate and behind the scenes.
Starting with last monthâs trip to Denver, the clubâs lineup had been in a rut, averaging barely four runs per game during a 5-9 skid that derailed their hot start to the season. Over that same period, a nasty bug had been going around the clubhouse, impacting up to 90% of the roster in the estimation of one team staff member.
Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott helped the team snap a four-game losing streak Sunday. Getty Images
Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott helped the team snap a four-game losing streak Sunday. Getty Images
Slumps and sicknesses, of course, are inevitable realities of a grueling six-month season.
Rarely, however, do teams so severely endure both at the same time.
âI know this doesnât quantify anything, and no one will care,â veteran third baseman Max Muncy said earlier this weekend, âbut for me, one of the side effects when everyoneâs feeling bad is, the team doesnât have the same joy when we show up every day.â
Which meant, as the losses piled up and the search for offense lingered, laughter and levity seemed equally short in supply.
âYou have to conserve your energy, so you donât have the same shenanigans going on in the clubhouse,â noted Muncy, who was so sick during the teamâs recent homestand that he had to leave one game early and wear a heavy jacket in the dugout to regulate his body temperature.
âWhen you take out any of that joy that comes from being around everybody, it has a negative effect on people.â
Finally, on Sunday, such vibes began to shift.
The Dodgersâ reacts after getting hit by a pitch Sunday against the Cardinals. Getty Images
, the Dodgers did more than just snap a . For the first time in a few weeks, energy and enjoyment levels were pulsating through the team again.
The day started with a telling observation from manager Dave Roberts, who noticed an upbeat atmosphere around the clubhouse ahead of what he described as a âgut checkâ game.
âI think that thereâs a sense of pride that our guys have, that they understand that enoughâs enough,â Roberts said before first pitch.
âI think we were just trying to over-caffeinate this morning,â first baseman joked later. âIâm glad our aura was a little different this morning. But we try to be the same every day.â
The Dodgers made one intentional change for Sunday, debuting a new drop-kick celebration whenever they reached base.
Several veteran players were coy about the origin of the new move ââ which may or may not have been inspired by something backup catcher did at the end of the previous nightâs game (when he frustratedly kicked out his leg upon returning to the dugout following a game-ending strikeout).
Either way, the message it was intended to send was clear:
âWe needed to kick away the negativity,â one player quipped.
That wasnât the only lighthearted aspect of Sundayâs much-needed victory.
While the Dodgers didnât exactly break out at the plate, they did enough to warrant a postgame media scrum with one of their top hitters. Thus, reporters initially approached Muncy in the clubhouse for an interview ââ only for him to pin the task on Freeman instead.
âFreddieâs coming,â Muncy said with a laugh, before going into the dining room to drag Freeman out for the cameras. âHere he is.â
In the other corner of the locker room, began cracking up as was asked about his uniquely dominant start ââ including a question about whether he realized he had failed to record any strikeouts in his scoreless six-inning outing.
âI mean, yeah,â Wrobleski said with a smirk and a shrug. âI had a lot of two-strike counts, and then they kept putting it in play. So I was like, âAll right, Iâll take the out.ââ
In much the same way, the Dodgers will happily take Sundayâs win, as well.
Their hope is that it will mark a small-but-important step toward getting back on track after the struggles of the last few weeks. All the better if it reignites the joy that had been missing on and off the field.
âOffensively, we just havenât been very good the last week,â Freeman said. âJust call a spade a spade sometimes. Thereâs no way to sugarcoat it ⊠But no oneâs worried in here. And itâs good to get a win on a day game, salvage a series and hopefully start a better streak tomorrow.â
âYou just have to bow your neck and find a way to win,â Roberts echoed. âDoesnât matter how good or bad it looks, we needed a win today. So [now] we can have a happy flight.â
Q&A
What caused the Dodgers' recent losing streak?
The Dodgers experienced a losing streak due to poor offensive performance and a sickness affecting up to 90% of the roster.
How did the Dodgers celebrate their win against the Cardinals?
The Dodgers debuted a new drop-kick celebration whenever they reached base, aiming to kick away negativity.
Who contributed to the Dodgers' victory over the Cardinals?
Reliever Tanner Scott played a key role in helping the Dodgers secure their 4-1 victory against the Cardinals.
What did Dodgers players say about their morale after the win?
Players like Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman expressed that the win reignited joy and energy within the team, which had been lacking during their slump.
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