The Dodgers won 100 games during the 2023 MLB regular season. But that success looks meaningless after the Diamondbacks swept them out of the National League Division Series in three games.
Unfortunately for Dodgers fans, this is a painfully familiar tune that's been played the past few Octobers. Despite regular-season excellence and MVP-level talent, the team continually fails in the postseason. Arizona won 84 games, finishing 16 games behind Los Angeles in the NL West. That now seems irrelevant.
Since 2017, the Dodgers have had five 100-win seasons and they couldn’t win the World Series in any of them.
— MLB Metrics (@MLBMetrics) October 12, 2023
2017: Lost WS
2019: Lost NLDS
2021: Lost NLCS
2022: Lost NLDS
2023: Lost NLDS
Yes, the Dodgers won the World Series in 2020. But baseball fans are happy to point out that the championship was won during a COVID-shortened 60-game season.
Nearly everything that could go wrong did so for Los Angeles in the NLDS. Stars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman combined to hit 1-for-21 in three games. In Game 1, Clayton Kershaw was pummeled for six runs in just 1/3 of an inning. And in must-win Game 3, Lance Lynn served up four home runs during the third inning.
As could be expected, Dodgers fans did not take this latest postseason loss quietly. And Dodgers haters were delighted to rub it in. Here's a sampling:
I speak for many #Dodger fans: pic.twitter.com/nyimk70MJ4
— Unión Football Club 1906 (@ClubUnion1906) October 12, 2023
Dodgers payroll: 210 million
— TheKroppTop (@TheKroppTop) October 12, 2023
Dbacks payroll: 116 million
Watching the Dbacks sweep the Dodgers in the playoffs: PRICELESS
The Giants and Dodgers finished with the same number of postseason wins in 2023.
— Grant Brisbee (@GrantBrisbee) October 12, 2023
The format isn’t the issue. That’s just an excuse.
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) October 12, 2023
The Dodgers offense has shit the bed every October with the exception of 2017 and 2020, and look what happened.
Every year the offense turns into complete shit in October. It doesn’t matter who it is, they forget how to hit.
Since the stadium won’t be used anymore this year pic.twitter.com/N4FOpZhtGT
— RonTheBearded | Team DxF (@RonTheBearded) October 12, 2023
And the Dodgers still haven’t won a real championship since 1988.
— Chris Castellani (@Castellani2014) October 12, 2023
Have a safe flight back to LA @Dodgers #EmbraceTheChaos pic.twitter.com/iSzj6EU0TT
— Zach Lind (@zlind76) October 12, 2023
The Dodgers can and likely will return to the playoffs next season. But believing in their chances is difficult. The starting rotation needs major reconstruction work. Kershaw's status is one of many questions the front office needs to address. What is Walker Buehler's status? Will Dave Roberts return as manager?
As ESPN Stats & Info points out, the Dodgers at least have some company as a 100-win team that was swept in the postseason. But the Orioles are an up-and-coming team that figures to improve. In Los Angeles, it will be a long baseball winter.
