Dodgers Dugout: Andrew Friedman talks about the current slump

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and the Dodger slide continues.

Well, here we are again. The Dodgers were swept by the Chicago Cubs and have won only four of their last 17 games.

I could continue to point out the obvious for the third consecutive newsletter (perfect storm of bad bullpen, no clutch hitting, poor defense), but that could get monotonous. So let’s try to find a new voice to talk about the team in this edition.

But who? Who else could we possibly get?

How about president of baseball operation Andrew Friedman?

My colleague Bill Shaikin caught up with Friedman after Wednesday’s loss to the Cubs. Here’s some of what Friedman had to say.

Does he get frustrated just like the fans?

“I’m not the best-behaved person,” Friedman said. “It’s not something I’m all that proud of. It definitely affects my personality more than I would like.

“It’s funny: I thought there was a chance that winning a World Series would help give you perspective for games that you lose in April, but it has not.”

What’s wrong with the team?

“It’s just kind of an imperfect storm,” Friedman said. “I think the offensive slump that a number of guys are going through is part of the game, and to be expected over the course of the season. I think it’s really rare for five or six guys to be going through it at the same time. That, coupled with the number of injuries we’ve had that have been so concentrated, has contributed to it as well.”

“Other than Dustin [May], all the other injuries are situations where the guys are going to come back relatively soon. So we just need to weather the storm. As tough as these last couple of weeks have been, it doesn’t change what we think about the true talent level of the group.

“It doesn’t change the fact that this has been a really frustrating run for all of us. Those losses are in the bank. But I feel very confident we’re going to start playing a much better brand of baseball and, fortunately, our strong start allowed us not to dig too deep a hole in these last couple weeks.”

“It gets back to the overall talent of the group, which we still very much believe in. But the imperfect storm has been in games that we have hit well but haven’t pitched well, games that we have pitched well but haven’t hit well and have struggled to tack on runs throughout the game. There are periods when this happens. This feels more dramatic, and maybe because we’re mired in it right now.

“We’ll be on the upswing soon. But obviously this stretch has not been fun. Each day I wake up thinking that today is going to be the day we break out of it. But, really, it’s not about any one day. It’s about doing it consistently, night in and night out, and that’s what we have to get back to.”

Friedman also talks about the losses of Joc Pederson and Kiké Hernandez and understanding the emotions of the fans. Read the whole thing here.

How do they compare?

A look at how the Dodgers’ 17-15 record after 32 games compares to their record after 32 games since 2013, when their current streak of winning division titles began.

2021: 17-15
2020: 23-9 (Final record: 43-17)
2019: 20-12 (106-56)
2018: 15-17 (92-71)
2017: 18-14 (104-58)
2016: 16-16 (91-71)
2015: 22-10 (92-70)
2014: 18-14 (94-68)
2013: 13-19 (92-70)

So, the Dodgers have dug themselves out of far worse holes and won the division. It’s a messy couple of weeks with not a lot of positive things to look at, but there’s still 130 games to go.

Fernandomania @ 40

Episode 3 of “Fernandomania @ 40” explores the forming of what made Fernandomania possible. More than 1,800 families in the Chavez Ravine communities – La Loma, Palo Verde and Bishop -- were asked to leave their homes starting in 1950, because the city of Los Angeles believed the land could be better used for build public housing. Some sold their property, others were forced out due to eminent domain laws. In the end, the public housing idea was a political non-starter, but not long after the city designated the land for public use, it was used to lure the Dodgers away from Brooklyn in 1958 – leaving large swaths of displaced Angelenos resentful of the Dodgers for occupying the land at Chavez Ravine. For many, those feelings of resentment lingered, until Fernando Valenzuela’s rookie season in 1981.

You can watch episode three by clicking here.

These names look familiar

A look at how players from the 2020 Dodgers who are no longer on the team are faring this season (through Thursday):

Pedro Báez, Houston, On the 60-day IL with shoulder soreness

Dylan Floro, Miami: 2-1, 1.23 ERA (14.2 IP, 8 hits, 4 walks, 15 strikeouts)

Kiké Hernández, Boston: .239/.298/.425 (7 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HRs, 10 RBIs, 101 OPS+)

Adam Kolarek, Oakland: 6.43 ERA (7 IP, 10 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts)

Jake McGee, San Francisco: 1-0, 5.54 ERA, 7 saves (13 IP, 12 hits, 3 walks, 18 strikeouts)

Joc Pederson, Chicago Cubs: .143/.286/.232 (1 triple, 1 homer, 5 RBIs, 49 OPS+)

Josh Sborz, Texas: 3-1, 3.55 ERA, 1 save (12.2 IP, 7 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts)

Ross Stripling, Toronto: 0-1, 6.39 ERA (12.2 IP, 18 hits, 4 walks, 14 strikeouts)

Alex Wood, San Francisco: 3-0, 1.96 ERA (23 IP, 13 hits, 5 walks, 22 strikeouts)

Up next

Tonight, Dodgers (*Julio Urías, 4-0, 2.87 ERA) at Angels (Griffin Canning, 2-2, 6.20 ERA), 6:30 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570

Saturday, Dodgers (TBA) at Angels (Dylan Bundy, 0-3, 4.00 ERA), 6 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570

Sunday, Dodgers (TBA) at Angels (*Jose Quintana, 0-3, 10.59 ERA), 1 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570

*-left-handed

And finally

Vin Scully explains the Sword of Damocles. Watch and listen here.