"Reigning NL MVP Shohei Ohtani spoke about the lineup's maddening struggles as the Dodgers have lost their past five games (all to losing teams). "We individually are trying to find ways on our own to ... [be] hitting better than we are," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. "But I think the side effect of that is, we're a little too eager, and putting too much pressure on ourselves. That's really hurting us more than it's helping.""
"Veteran infielder Miguel Rojas also spoke about the pressure that seems to be plaguing the Dodgers in their quest to the postseason, which now seems questionable after Saturday's devastating loss in Baltimore. "I feel like, as an offense, we're putting a little bit too much pressure on ourselves, because we feel the necessity of winning. And we're really forgetting about the most important part, which is playing for each other and having some joy when we play this game," Rojas said. Since July 4, the Dodgers have gone 22-32"
"Beyond winning the World Series, the Dodgers spent the offseason acquiring more star power for baseball's most talented team. LA's success in the offseason sparked the narrative that the Dodgers had ruined baseball. However, with less than one month remaining in the regular season, the Dodgers have performed poorly and perhaps succumbed to the pressure of being viewed as the best in baseball. Most notably, the Dodgers lineup has struggled to be consistent throughout 2025, but in Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, LA mustered three runs. That wasn't enough for the Dodgers as Baltimore won 4-3 in walk-off fashion, despite Yoshinobu Yamamoto recording 26 outs for LA in an electric no-hit bid."
The defending champions entered 2025 with reinforced talent and heightened expectations after offseason acquisitions. With fewer than 30 games remaining in the regular season, the Dodgers have underperformed and shown offensive inconsistency. A recent 4-3 walk-off loss to Baltimore came despite Yoshinobu Yamamoto's near no-hit outing. Reigning NL MVP Shohei Ohtani and veteran Miguel Rojas cited players pressing too hard, becoming too eager and losing joy, which is harming performance. The team has lost five straight games to losing teams and posted a 22-32 record since July 4, placing postseason outlooks in question.
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