MLB Wednesday review: What's wrong with the Dodgers?

bet365 News Team Updated: Jun 08 2023 16:24 Published: Jun 08 2023 16:13

The Dodgers have been one of the most dominant teams in recent years and even this season they have been good.

However, over the past couple of games, they have started to slip, which is uncharacteristic.

The Dodgers have currently lost four games in a row and have fallen into second place in the National League West, trailing the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks by two games.

The issue is not so much that they have lost four games in a row, as even the best teams go through bad stretches.

More so, the concern has been how they have lost these games. Starting with the last two games against the Yankees this past weekend, the Dodgers managed just four total runs during this stretch, losing 6-3 on Saturday and 4-1 on Sunday.

They then headed to Cincinnati after an off-day and immediately put themselves in the driver's seat, going up 8-3 through the first four innings against the Reds on Tuesday.

The Dodgers then proceeded to allow the Reds to get closer and closer until a three-run bottom of the ninth doomed the Dodgers and completed an impressive comeback for the Reds.

Last night’s game was also wild as the score read 6-6 after just three innings. The runs then dried up quickly until yet another walk-off win by the Reds in the bottom of the ninth.

The Dodgers’ pitching has to take some of this blame as allowing 17 runs over two games is not a recipe for success.

As long as their pitching can bounce back, the Dodgers will be fine. Their offense is too good, so there shouldn’t be too much concern just yet, despite the past few games of blowing leads late.

You can bet the Dodgers to win the World Series at odds of +625, win the National League at +240, win the National League West at -450, and make the playoffs at odds of -6600.

Minnesota Twins in freefall

Another team that needs to regroup quickly are the Minnesota Twins. They have also lost four games in a row, which has dropped them to 31-31 on the season.

Luckily for the Twins, they play in the worst division in baseball, the American League Central. In fact, the Twins are the only team in baseball that are leading their division, but are not above .500.

During their four-game losing streak, the Twins have scored a total of four runs. That is an average of one run per game, which really magnifies their inconsistent offense. This was shown again last night when the Twins lost 2-1 to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Minnesota went eight innings without scoring a single run, before finally mustering one in the top of the ninth.

It was all for nothing though as the Rays hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to end yet another frustrating night for the Twins.

It is worth noting that even though the Twins have lost four games in a row, their pitching has not been that bad.

They have allowed an average of 3.75 runs per game during their losing streak, but only once have they allowed more than four runs in a game.

For the Twins to get back on track, they must be more consistent offensively. With their division consisting of below-average teams, the Twins still look to be in the driver's seat, but need to be careful that their struggles don’t continue.

You can bet the Twins to win the World Series at odds of +3300, win the American League at +1600, win the American League Central at -220, and make the playoffs at odds of -260.

Milwaukee Brewers finding form

Opposite of the current form of the Dodgers and Twins, the Milwaukee Brewers look to be picking up steam right now.

They have won two games in a row and five of their last six and are now 34-28 on the season.

They currently lead the National League Central over the Pittsburgh Pirates, albeit by 1.5 games, but the Brewers’ offense has improved recently.

Over their last six games, the Brewers are averaging 5.66 runs per game, while allowing 3.33 runs per game.

As long as the Brewers’ offense continues to produce, they have a great chance to continue their great form, which could open up a much bigger divisional lead.

You can bet the Brewers to win the World Series at odds of +2200, win the National League at odds of +1100, win the National League Central at -185, and make the playoffs at -250.