The Los Angeles Dodgers suffered a loss in the first game of their home stretch to begin the month of September, 13-8 to the St. Louis Cardinals.
At one point, the team was down 7-1, and every Los Angeles pitcher who appeared gave up a home run, which is never ideal.
While there have been other games in which the Dodgers have allowed a large number of runs, this is the team's best statistical season for runs allowed.
Over the last couple of seasons, Los Angeles surrendered nearly the same number of runs in the regular season, 685 in 2024 and 683 in 2025, for an average of 4.22 runs per game in both seasons.
However, through 138 games, the Dodgers have allowed only 530 runs, which easily puts them on track to finish below the total from the past two seasons.
When a team acquires a top-tier pitcher like Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline, it is expected to excel defensively, given the already strong pitching staff built over the previous few seasons.
Still, the eyebrow-raiser in all this is that, even though the defense has technically been better for them, the reigning champions are not nearly as dominant as they were over the last two seasons.
It was almost a guarantee that the Dodgers would be the team hoisting the World Series title in 2024 and 2025, and that proved true with wins over the American League teams, the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays.
Even though last season's championship series against the Blue Jays was much more difficult, there was still a sense that the team would pull through, especially given their offensive firepower.
Nonetheless, that feeling no longer seems to be there for the team, and it appears to be why they don't have that superhero feel at the moment, which sounds crazy considering the team's roster.
Yes, the pitching overall may be improved, but the offensive spark has not been strong enough for the team to reap the benefits, showing that the Dodgers face the reality of being knocked off the mountaintop more than ever.
On the other hand, the great thing about sports is that all this speculation could be put to rest in the next month if Los Angeles wins its third consecutive World Series.
Regardless of what happens, all eyes will remain on the Dodgers and their next steps, as many wonder how long they can keep their current core together beyond this season.