Game 26 Thread: April 25 vs. Pirates, 7p

Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. TBD.

It's fitting to use this image and for this series, because frankly, the Dodgers' performace is absolutely the Pitts. Since going 8-0 to start the season, the Dodgers are actually a pedestrian 8-9, dropping four of their last six series (and barely squeaking past the Rangers, and then sweeping the Rockies).

It's all very disappointing, but the problems persist throughout the lineup. Our starting pitching is ravaged, with Tyler Glasnow befelled by both rain and cramps (I'm not kidding), and $182M signee Blake Snell unable to make it through a rehab period. Our bullpen, already incredibly overused only 1/6 of the way through the season, has given up leads late in games with chilling regularity.

And our bats are also spotty. Shohei Ohtani has returned from paternity leave with a newfound strikeout-prone swing. Mookie Betts, who went 3-for-5 against the Cubs Wednesday, is batting an uncharacteristically low .235.

On the other hand, the characteristic weaknesses in this lineup...are unfortunately playing right to form. Michael Conforto is batting .197. Max Muncy is batting .178 and looks totally lost out there, posting a career-high 36.5% strikeout rate. Andy Pages is batting .183.

And Austin "Free Pass" Barnes, with his career-low 9.1% defensive caught stealing rate, is batting .174. I honestly don't even know why he has a roster spot, even as a backup catcher.

The Dodgers are in third place in the NL West and look incredibly old and weak. We can't take another 137 games of this crap.