Dodgers Team News

Dodgers: Max Muncy Voices His Frustration With LA’s Offensive Struggles

It’s tough to win a game against any team, no matter who they are, if your offense only manages to scrape together 1 run on 4 hits. On a team that features so many talented players with just about every accolade imaginable, you would think it would be an easy task to score more runs.

Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Despite their hot streak to close the gap in the division, the Dodgers let their grasp on the division lead slip right through their hands. Of course, they have no one else to blame but themselves, at least that’s what Max Muncy seems to think.



“I think if you ask anybody on this team they’ll tell you we’ve really sucked on the offensive side.”

Muncy’s words are pretty blunt but full of the truth. Just because you have the talent to win ball games on paper, doesn’t mean that will translate to wins on the field.

Dave Roberts spoke up and agreed with Muncy on the need to get better.

“It needs to get better. For me, it’s always good to hear players holding each other and themselves accountable. It’s a very talented offensive group. But that doesn’t win ballgames. For Max to voice that – and the sentiment is shared by other guys in the clubhouse on the position-player side. And I’m with them. We all know it needs to get better. So it’s good to hear. But his teammates feel the same.”

It’s easy to score runs when you’re already up big in the game or when you’re playing a mediocre team. It’s when you’re fighting in a close ball game with your back up against the wall is when it gets difficult. That’s where the Dodgers have fallen short all season, and that’s what will cost them a chance to defend their crown if they don’t get their act together. 

They’ve shown they have the ability to blow teams out when hot, but with only 20 games left against tough opponents and the playoffs just ahead, which figures to be filled with elite teams, the Dodgers have to find a way to manufacture runs in tight situations.

NEXT: Dave Roberts Hints at a Possible Matt Beaty Promotion Amid Team’s Offensive Struggles

45 Comments

  1. When you put a guy hitting .160 in the 5 spot you’re going to have trouble generating offense. When you have 3-4 guys in the lineup around the ‘Mendoza’ line you’re going to have trouble generating offense.
    When you have a manager who is more interested in giving guys rest instead of winning games you’re going to have trouble generating offense.
    What’s the mystery?

    1. You can’t win games when you rest half the team on the same day in the middle of a due or die pennant race with just a few weeks in the schedule remaining. And to “give Urias an extra rest day” to boot? With a starting lineup that includes Souza Jr. (161), McKinney (.192), Barnes (.217) and Bellinger (.158) and a bullpen game starting Gonsolin in his first game off of a long stint on the injured list. Holy mackerel, this isn’t major league, pennant race managing. In the meantime, Matt Beaty is left to rust at OKC.

    2. @Tim Exactly!!! The mystery is how Friedman hasn’t intervened and voiced his displeasure with Roberts’ handling of the lineup. Bellinger has no business being in the lineup everyday, let alone hitting in the 5 spot. Do you think Justin Turner is going to get any good pitches in front of Bellinger who is an automatic out? Of course not! I literally bleed Dodger blue and have followed this team all my adult life, but I’m at a point where I cannot watch them as long as they’re managed by Roberts. It’s not worth the aggravation, I feel so hopeless… like no one is doing anything about it. Maybe if they lose the division, and the wildcard, Roberts will finally get fired and we’ll be the super-team we should be.

      1. It’s time you guys stop railing on Roberts.
        Give Friedman a call. He’s the one calling the shots.

        1. I disagree with Friedman calling the shots. Although I wish he were. I live in the Tampa Bay area and know Friedman from his years with the Rays. He lets his managers call the shots. It is Roberts’ stubbornness that is killing the team. But it will ultimately be Friedman’s failure for continuing to support the buffoon in the dugout.

        2. Sorry Rob, Friedman has given Roberts a 275 million dollar line up to steer. Have you ever seen the movie Seabiscuit? Or have you read the history? The jockey that Seabiscuit was accustomed to broke his leg and the owners were certain that the horse would fold. They hired a seasoned veteran jockey who came in and the horse NEVER looked back. So when you have a Champion horse, line up, Car built etc. ANYONE with experience and Knowledge can steer it. Roberts is like a jockey right now that CANT steer this roster…..And yes this roster is built, ANYONE could manage this roster…. Roberts is Holding the Horses back down the stretch run and losing……He needs to sink the spurs and crack the whip, instead he holds the team back trying to “GET READY” for the final lap when he’s already on it…

          1. Kirk. Bottom line is Roberts has no defense for his lineup decisions yesterday but it points out that with the exception of Pujols this year’s Dodger bench is SO FAR INFERIOR to that of last year its not funny. Let’s start a campaign to have Roberts removed from the dugout!

        3. If that’s true Roberts needs to grow a pair and either make the calls himself and stop being a yes man or QUIT.

      2. 1) Roberts does a lot of things extremely well that have allowed this team to win 8 division titles in a row. You guys seem to be overlooking that. Managing all these ego’s and personalities when you have a team as talented as the Dodger’s isn’t as easy as Robert’s makes it appear. He’s the perfect fit for this system.

        2) Friedman and the nerd squad hand Robert’s a suggested lineup every day, along with a long list of most likely situational spots and the moves they should make. It’s up to Roberts to make the call on when or if he does those things or if he follows Friedman’s lineup, but by all reports he pretty much follows it near 100%.

        Again, all of you guys are blaming the wrong people.

        1. Bahahahaha. You didn’t mention the missed opportunities in the postseason. Wonder what’s your take on batting Belli almost everyday – injuries aside – even hitting him in the 5 spot. Or using McKinney as much as he does – even using him as a pinch-hitter! Oh those missed opportunities by consistently using them rally killers. And all the rest days, sometimes by multiple players at the same time. So yes, I blame Roberts!!!

        2. Sorry John, but I cannot believe that any analytics would put Bellinger at cleanup and when that didn’t work out, put him at lead off. And yesterday, placing him at the 5 spot.

          1. Because I’ve heard them discuss this several times over the years in interviews with Friedman and Roberts.

            It’s very easy to micro analyze and be critical of things when you have the benefit of 20/20 vision, while overlooking the good things people who make decisions do. Getting an entire club to buy into a philosophy and put their ego’s aside for the greater good is easier said than done.

            There’s plenty of things I disagree with about Dave’s decisions, but to be a fair minded person, I also remind myself of all the good things he does well. Otherwise you just end up sounding like a disgruntled know nothing fan.

          2. Because I’ve heard them discuss this several times over the years in interviews with Friedman and Roberts.

            It’s very easy to micro analyze and be critical of things when you have the benefit of 20/20 vision, while overlooking the good things people who make decisions do. Getting an entire club to buy into a philosophy and put their ego’s aside for the greater good is easier said than done.

            There’s plenty of things I disagree with about Dave’s decisions, but to be a fair minded person, I also remind myself of all the good things he does well.

          1. Not only that, the NL West was a weaker division until recently. So Roberts, while he may seem to have cruised through the seasons, has only won once under the pressure of the postseason.

    3. These guys make millions and they are young, even the ones called “old” at 38 years of age or “really old” if you are a Pujols at 41. I only wish I was still that “old”. Hell, I didn’t even get married until I was 37 and we didn’t have our first child until I was 41. They get regular physical training, supervised exercise by “trainers”, great diets through dieticians, dine at great restaurants, probably have their house and yard work done by hired help, long off-seasons for R&R, but many always seem to hurt themselves and are otherwise “fragile”. And managers like Roberts claim they need rest. Well, there are many farmers, truck drivers, service and delivery personnel, warehouse workers, etc that work as hard, often while injured, and many of them do well into their 70s and even beyond with two weeks of vacation or less. Robert’s love affair with Bellinger, McKinny, and some of the other underachievers to give rest to the guys performing is questionable at best. And these BP games to protect starting pitchers is ludicous. Try asking Koufax, Drysdale, or Nolan, about how much rest and pitch restrictions they asked for. This is the time to grind it out, and I just wish Roberts would manage that way versus trying to save guys for the post season, which, at this rate, won’t be for very long.

  2. Boy, did Roberts miss the point made by Muncy. His lineup 5 through 8 was awful for a team needing to score runs. Wake-up Roberts — the players know when you put together poor lineups!

  3. Yesterday was on Doc, pure and simple. We’ve made several comeback attempts in games on this trip…put your best offense in there and catch the Giants rather than resting guys who would prefer to play. Too disjointed!
    This is what you get with “players Managers”; they have to be hit on the head with a 2 x 4 to change their approach. Ironically, Doc is a player’s manager for everyone except Matt Beaty and arguably Gaven Lux. I don’t usually dump on Roberts but his management for the past week has been unsupportable.

  4. IMPEACH ROBERTS! The sooner Dodgers realize that Bellinger DOES NOT belong in the starting lineup right now the better. Honestly I don’t care to see him batting 8th. Just because Pollock is down. There is a way around having Bellinger in the starting lineup.

  5. Paul, to start let’s see how the Home crowd reacts tonight to Spock Roberts. Still as of 10;30 a.m. pacific there has been NO roster changes. It’s time the Home crowd BOOOOs the daylights out of bellinger and roberts. It seemed to work with Kenley… He said it changed his approach, made him get counseling. Roberts needs counseling, belli just needs the rest of the year off to heal….

    1. Yes we need to be relentless with the booing. We the fans need to make our voices heard. Aside from booing, we need signs and T-shirts expressing our discontent with Roberts. Maybe beach balls that say Fire Roberts, bench Belli. Once the networks get a hold of it, the message will get across.

        1. This is a dumb comment. Impeach??? Stupid. Yes, I agree Roberts has made some not-so-smart moves with the lineup. Belli should be benched. Let somebody else play the outfield that could possibly hit the ball.

      1. All 3 Talk sites I’m on have suggested it’s time to BOO Roberts…….It’s hard to say BOO bellinger, but the insanity of this Roberts Love affair that’s crippling this team’s chances is a harder thing to watch………Can’t imagine what players like Beaty and Lux are dealing with watching this ship sinking…….

    2. I’m going tonight. I will absolutely boo Roberts, Belli, and Kenley if he comes in.

          1. Another thing Dodger Boy, they keep burying the thread about bringing Beaty back…..Roberts brings up the 220 hitting Lux who plays 2 positions while leaving the Org’s best hitter in OKC…………Can’t make this up of how bad roberts hates Beaty…..Roberts just gave the fans like us a Huge F-you “In your face!” with this move. Although it’s better than mckinney and Souza, but is still just a Lip service move by the idiot..

      1. D-Boy: Everybody’s favorite nice guy bellinger just has to go, but it’s a bad move booing Kenley: he has been one of the best relievers in Baseball for most of the year if you throw out July. Good thing we don’t have Craig Kimbrel or Aroldis Chapman !

  6. You are so right- its time the the coach holds himself accountable! Bellinger has a virus that is contaminating the rest of the team!

  7. It would be good to hear Roberts holding himself accountable for terrible managing. And then saying I’m so bad I’m retiring from baseball immediately.

  8. I want Mike Sciosa and Bellinger needs to back off the plate
    It’s a game of adjustments and Bellinger seems to say I will show you I can hit the inside pitch
    If he does hit the ball it’s not on the barrel bat when pitched inside
    For me when Barnes plays that’s like giving away out

  9. Well, I can tell you, if I have been on a hot streak, hitting the cover off the ball for 5 to 6 consecutive days, I would need a rest day. Hittin the ball that much has got to rattle your hands, wrists and arms! And then run/sprint to first maybe 2nd or OMG even to 3rd? Why, just plain exhausted! Besides, I need a day off to check my bank accounts to make sure my hundred of thousands or millions has been direct deposited on time!! Phew, I’m beat. Dave, I need a day off!!!

  10. And what happened to “little ball” when your lineup is struggling to score? Bunting, hit-and-run, focusing on contact to move runners up instead of swinging for the fences every at bat with RISP, decoys, playing by gut instinct like all legendary managers have versus today’s saber-metric stats? If Tommy was still alive (RIP, you old-timer!) I’d ask him to explain to Roberts how he decided to put the injured Gibson in at a baseball critical and ultimately legendary situation with gut instinct versus the current “rest him, he’s hurt” mentality..

  11. Even though I like Dave Roberts, I think he is the source of Dodger hitters being wound too tight to deliver hits under pressure. He stands right at the entrance to the dugout—and claps his hands for every guy who scores and comes back to the dugout. But here’s the problem: what do the batters feel when they make an out and the manager doesn’t rush to claps his hands?.

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