Dave Roberts does not believe his Dodgers team, amid another unexpected skid that has dropped them into second place in the standings, is suffering from a lack of effort.

What the manager did acknowledge, in the wake of a 5-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on Saturday night, is that their intent might be misplaced.

Right now, it’s clear the Dodgers are going through their latest offensive funk.

In two games against the Padres this weekend, they have managed only two runs (both via home runs from rookie infielder Alex Freeland) and five hits. They have failed to adjust against crafty veteran pitchers who, for the most part, have given them very few good pitches to attack.

As a result, they have squandered the division lead they retook just a week ago, going from two games up in the National League West after last weekend’s sweep of the Padres, to one game behind their Southern California rivals in the wake of consecutive and stunningly abject offensive displays at Petco Park.

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And suddenly, they are facing a look-in-the-mirror moment, needing to recalibrate their approach with a more team-first mindset.

“This time of the season, it's not about the mechanics, your swing,” Roberts said. “It's about how, 'Can I help the team win?'"

Lately, in the case of too many stars throughout the lineup, the former is outweighing the latter.

Saturday brought the dynamic into clear focus.

A night after Yu Darvish navigated the Dodgers’ lineup in a six-inning, one-run, one-hit gem, Nestor Cortes — he of infamous October history, after giving up Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series last year with the New York Yankees — had a similarly clear plan of attack.

Or, more accurately, non-attack.

Rather than challenge the Dodgers over the plate with diminished stuff in just his fourth start since returning from an early-season elbow injury, the veteran left-hander pitched them carefully. Cutters and changeups away to a right-handed-heavy lineup. Sweepers to the other side of the zone against the Dodgers’ few lefty threats.

Effectively, he dared them to be patient, to shorten up their swings, to take what he was giving them and try to build rallies slowly and methodically — rather than with long balls that have primarily fueled the Dodgers’ offense, perhaps to a fault, for much of the season.

“He just kind of stayed away from us the whole time ... just picking at the outside corner the whole night,” catcher Will Smith said. “Credit to him. He pitched well. He certainly didn’t give us anything to hit.”

But rather than adjust, the Dodgers played into his hands. They tried to slug. They took big hacks at pitches that required more of a contact approach. And, while they did hit some balls hard — none more so than a deep fly ball from Freeman in the second inning that died at the warning track — all they came away with in Cortes’ six scoreless (and nearly perfect) innings was a sixth-inning single from Miguel Rojas.

In each of the Dodgers' other 19 at-bats against the Padres trade deadline acquisition, they recorded nothing but outs.

“[We have to] find a way to move the line forward, get hits, spoil pitches, compete,” Roberts said, after just the Dodgers’ second two-hit performance this season. “There’s a different level of trying. I think everyone's trying. But I think that [we need] the next level, of going with whatever swing you have that particular night and fighting and willing yourself to get some hits, get on base, create innings and score runs.

“It's not a lack of talent. Certainly not a lack of try. But we got to do more,” Roberts added. “You got to kind of understand what's happening in a ballgame and make your adjustments."

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Indeed, the Dodgers’ recent inability to adjust at the plate has put them in a bind entering the stretch run of the season.

Even if they avoid a series sweep Sunday, they will only be tied atop the division. If they lose, they will face a two-game deficit in the standings with 31 games to go.

In either scenario, they will face a closing month that will demand more consistent offense in order to win the NL West.

Given the mechanical issues much of their lineup is facing at the moment — from Smith and his seven-for-50 slump over the last 15 games, to Teoscar Hernández and his 33% strikeout rate in August — the pressure to provide more competitive, team-minded at-bats is starting to mount.

“We are who we are. We've got a lot of guys that can leave the ballpark and that can hit homers,” Rojas said. “But we all know, too, that we can play better baseball than the way that we've been playing the last couple days. I feel like the offense is kind of inconsistent at times. We can always get better. We all know we need to get better if we want to win games in a consistent way."

By the time Rojas exemplified that approach in the sixth inning, shooting an 0-and-1 cutter the other way for the team’s first hit (and baserunner) of the night, Saturday’s game was already a lost cause.

Tyler Glasnow gave up three runs in the fourth, when bad command led to two walks that helped load the bases, Ramón Laureano laced a two-run single the other way, and Jake Cronenworth added a sacrifice fly.

The Padres’ dominant bullpen was looming, with Freeland’s pinch-hit homer in the eighth proving to be the only damage allowed.

What already felt like an unlikely comeback bid was then officially dashed by Xander Bogaerts’ two-run double off Justin Wrobleski in the eighth — giving the Padres (74-56) enough cushion to avoid using closer Robert Suarez for a second-straight game in the ninth.

“We needed to jump on [Cortes], put some runs up early on him,” Smith said. “But we just didn’t do that.”

Moving forward, however, Saturday’s game might have provided lessons. Even if the Dodgers aren’t swinging the bats the way they want to, there are still other ways to generate offense.

“I feel like a lot of swings that we took today weren't really good swings to get on base,” Rojas said. “It was a little more to do damage early in the count. And [Cortes] was able to capitalize on that.”

Again, Roberts didn’t necessarily fault his club for falling into such a trap. He knows he has a team that — when right — is built on slugging the baseball and punishing mistakes opposing pitchers make against them. He noted the personal work hitters are putting in every day to try and get their mechanics on track.

At the same time, though, “we're at the end of August,” he noted. “It's just about getting the job done and finding a way to find some production.”

“You have to, again, take what the pitcher gives you and try to create something. You can't always go for that big swing. You got to kind of shorten up [sometimes]. We have it in there, and we do it at times. But I just don't see us doing that collectively.”

The good news: Roberts could already feel a shift postgame. As he traversed a somber clubhouse, he said he heard smaller conversations among players featuring “some good things from our guys along those lines.”

“Players are saying the right things,” he insisted. “It's gonna change. It'll change."

Still, as a group, the reality is nonetheless clear.

The Dodgers (73-57) are once again a second-place team. For them, playoff baseball effectively starts now.

That means adjustments have to be made to opposing pitchers’ game plans. Mechanical impurities can no longer be an excuse for wasted at-bats.

“It’s a reminder — let’s just get back to being who we are, and doing those little things; scratching and clawing; finding ways and willing yourself, your team, your offense to score some runs,” Roberts said. “I do believe that that kind of desire will manifest itself. I do."

It better. Because there will be many more games like the past two, and the Dodgers (who reside in the second NL wild-card spot, five games clear of the cut line) might find themselves limping into October, facing a potentially daunting postseason path.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Mets smashed six more home runs on Saturday and Clay Holmes pitched six innings for the first time in more than two months as New York defeated the Braves, 9-2, in Atlanta.

New York has hit 29 home runs in their last 11 games, including Saturday. Four Mets pitchers held the Braves to two runs on just five hits.

Here are the takeaways...

-After a 21-hit barrage on Friday, the Mets' lineup wouldn't go that nuclear on Saturday, but they continued to get knocks against Cal Quantrill. Francisco Lindor extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a third-inning single to lead off. After a Juan Soto walk, they executed a double-steal to put runners on second and third and no outs. Pete Alonso grounded to the left side for the first out before Mark Vientos struck out swinging. The Mets were in danger of not getting a run, but Jeff McNeil, starting for the first time in three games, launched a towering three-run blast just inside the right field foul pole. 

-The Braves almost answered the Mets' three-run third with a big inning of their own in the bottom half of the inning. After Holmes couldn't come down with the toss from Alonso, putting runners on first and third with one out, Starling Marte -- making just his sixth start in the outfield this season -- caught a fly ball in left before throwing a seed to Hayden Senger and getting Nacho Alvarez Jr. at home.

It wouldn't get easier for Holmes in the fourth. He walked back-to-back batters to start the inning and got Michael Harris II to hit a grounder to McNeil, who turned to try and get Ronald Acuña Jr. at second, but the former NL MVP slid in safely before the ball got there -- after it was overturned by replay. With the bases loaded and no outs, Marcell Ozuna got a sac fly to give the Braves their first run of the game. Drake Baldwin hit a slow chopper to Holmes to drive in another on the groundout. Holmes got Ozzie Albies to fly out to end the threat, but Atlanta picked up two runs without getting a hit in the fourth.

A 1-2-3 fifth and some stellar defense by Lindor and Tyrone Taylor in the sixth helped Holmes get through six innings for the first time since June 7. Coincidentally, the Mets had gone 62 games before a starter other than David Peterson went six-plus innings when Nolan McLean broke that on Friday. And now Mets starters have done so in back-to-back games. 

Holmes had retired 10 straight batters before a one-out single in the seventh and left after a quality start. The right-hander tossed 94 pitches (54 strikes) through 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits, two walks and striking out four.

-After that three-run shot by McNeil, the Mets' offense was kept at bay by Quantrill and Braves relievers until the seventh, when Alonso hit a towering blast just inside the right field foul pole with Soto on first base to give the Mets a 5-2 lead. Vientos followed with a no-doubt homer to left field to put the Mets on top, 6-2. 

It's Alonso's first home run (43 ABs) since the two-homer night when he broke Darryl Strawberry's franchise record. The Mets weren't done in the seventh as Marte hit a solo shot to give New York a four-spot in the inning. Marte was removed from left field in the seventh for Cedric Mullins, who played center and Taylor shifted to left. Vientos and McNeil would cap off the Mets' scoring with ninth-inning solo shots, the second of both slugger's games.

-In relief of Holmes, Gregory Soto, Tyler Rogers and Edwin Diaz -- who hadn't pitched in a week -- picked up the final eight outs. Here how it broke down:

• Soto: 0.2 IP, 1 BB, 1 K
• Rogers: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K
• Diaz: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K

-The 6-9 hitters went a combined 12-for-20 with six RBI in Friday's game, but didn't have the same success on Saturday. That part of the lineup went 4-for-17 with one RBI. Three of those hits came from Marte. Brett Baty, who had four hits, went hitless, while Taylor picked up just one hit after picking up three on Friday.

-Mets stole four bases on Quantrill, Marte having two of them. It's the first time they stole four bases in a game this season.

Game MVP: Starling Marte

The veteran outfielder not only went 3-for-3 with a homer, two stolen bases, but that assist in the outfield changed the tenor of the whole game.

Highlights

Two strikeouts in the inning for Clay Holmes ♨️ pic.twitter.com/VliWqzsrOx

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 23, 2025

JEFF McNEIL VISITS THE CHOP HOUSE!

A three-run bomb to open the scoring! pic.twitter.com/XszsKRuYzp

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 23, 2025

WHAT A THROW BY STARLING MARTE TO GET THE OUT AT HOME! pic.twitter.com/dQuc4DilNS

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 24, 2025

PETE ALONSO'S 29TH HOME RUN OF THE YEAR! pic.twitter.com/3qvrasAgZP

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 24, 2025

MARK VIENTOS GOES BACK-TO-BACK WITH PETE ALONSO! pic.twitter.com/9QivzWFQE1

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 24, 2025

FROM SANTOOOOOOO DOMINGOOOOOOOOOO

STARLING MARTE HITS THE METS' THIRD HOME RUN OF THE INNING! pic.twitter.com/oEsqmTYNh1

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 24, 2025

Mark Vientos hits his second home run of the night! 💪 pic.twitter.com/AieJtVGXyj

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 24, 2025

Jeff McNeil hits his second home run of the night! 🔥

He and Mark Vientos go back-to-back, each for their second home runs of the game! pic.twitter.com/PUnajwgvED

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 24, 2025

What's next

The Mets and Braves finish their three-game set with an afternoon game in Atlanta. First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m. on WPIX.

David Peterson (8-5, 3.18 ERA) will take on Bryce Elder (5-9, 6.29 ERA)

Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong made his second Triple-A start Saturday night and continued to impress, tossing six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts for Syracuse against Indianapolis.

The 22-year-old let up back-to-back singles to open the game, but got a double play and a strikeout to avoid early damage. He allowed a double and a walk in the second before retiring the next 12 batters, cruising through the fifth inning. Tong was tested in the sixth inning, finding himself in a jam with runners on second and third base. The righty maintained his composure after a mound visit and struck out Rafael Flores to end the frame and keep it a 3-0 game.

Overall, Tong allowed five hits and walked one over 88 pitches (63 strikes) with 21 swing-and-misses. His fastball topped out at 97.6 mph.

The top prospect dazzled in his first outing with Syracuse on Aug. 16, throwing 5.2 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. He allowed just three hits and two walks. Over two Triple-A starts, Tong has tossed 11.2 scoreless innings with 17 strikeouts and 39 swing-and-misses (h/t Joe DeMayo).

While New York has been hesitant to promote prospects to the majors too early, Tong may be up sooner than later, according to the NY Post's Mike Puma.

"The wind has shifted in the Mets organization in recent days regarding Jonah Tong," Puma wrote Saturday evening. "His name is entering the conversation for this season."

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has also said he'd prefer to have a spot in the rotation open up for multiple starts, instead of a spot-start and the prospect being sent back down to the minors.

Fellow top pitching prospect Nolan McLean has impressed over his first two major league starts and it's been expected that Brandon Sproatwould be the next starter to be promoted. The Mets' rotation currently consists of Clay Holmes (pitching Saturday night), David Peterson, Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and McLean. To make room for Sproat or potentially even Tong, New York could move Holmes to the bullpen and then would have to make a decision on other bullpen pitchers like Ryne Stanek, Reed Garrett, or Huascar Brazoban, who was recalled on Saturday.

Jonah Tong had another excellent outing for Triple-A Syracuse tonight 🔥

His final line: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K pic.twitter.com/WuKPe15sIa

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 24, 2025

Nola, Duran bounce back as Phillies even up series with Nationals originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Staking starting pitcher Aaron Nola to a big lead hasn’t been a problem for the Phillies’ offense in his two starts against the Nationals since coming back from injury.

Saturday, Nola was able to hold it as his strong performance and another big showing by the offense helped the Phillies to a 6-4 win to improve to 75-54 on the season.

Last Sunday, in Nola’s first start after being sidelined for three months with ankle and rib injuries, the Phillies climbed out to a 6-0 lead before Nola gave up six to the Nationals in what eventually became an 11-9 Phillies win.

Saturday was different, as Nola maintained good control with his four-seam fastball and knuckle-curve and kept the Nationals off balance through his six innings of work. He allowed five hits, two earned runs, walked one and struck out six in his 97-pitch night.

“I felt good, body felt good, ankle and rib were normal today,” said Nola, who picked up his second win of the season. “The ball felt like it was coming out better than it has been. It felt good to get a win for the guys and go for the series win tomorrow.

“I feel like when the velocity is up a little bit like that I’m on top of it a little bit more and I get a little jump before it gets to the plate and you get away with a little bit more. The fastball felt really good and I felt like it set up some other stuff, especially my curve ball.”

After failing to get a hit in the first three innings off Washington’s starter Mitchell Parker, the Phillies erupted for five in the fourth on five hits — including RBI doubles from J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm and a three-run home run from Edmundo Sosa, who got the start at second base against the left-handed Parker. Trea Turner slugged his 14th homer of the season, and just his second at Citizens Bank Park, in the fifth to close out the scoring for the Phillies.

Nola pretty much breezed through his first five innings in which he allowed just one unearned run. After giving up a dribbler of an infield single to Dylan Crews, Drew Millas hit a hard grounder to Weston Wilson at first. Wilson bobbled it, and instead of taking the sure out at first, tried to fire to second to get Crews. The ball hit off his hand and both runners advanced. Crews scored on a groundout by Brady House before Nola struck out Robert Hassell III to end the inning.

Nola gave up solo home runs to CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia, Jr. in the sixth before calling it a night with a 6-3 lead.

“He looked really good tonight,” said Rob Thomson. “He touched 94 (MPH). The command on his fastball was really good. Curve ball was sharp. He mixed in his changeup late. He had some rollovers on that. Great job in the fifth inning getting out of that little jam he had after we scored five. No fault of his own. I thought he was great.”

A strong performance from Nola was just what the organization craved on the day it was announced that ace Zack Wheeler would miss the rest of the season and need surgery for venous thoracic outlet syndrome. The timeline for recovery from surgery is six-to-eight months.

While Thomson will have to develop a new master plan with his ace starter now sidelined, his job is made a lot easier when the offense continues to perform as they have scored 50 runs over their last six games.

“I saw that and it’s tough to lose him,” said Nola of Wheeler. “Especially of his caliber and this part of the season, too. It’s tough for the team and the city and the organization, but we’re going to do our best to pick him up and go win as many more baseball games as possible and try to win the division.”

This past week, Sosa said he has been putting time in with hitting coach Kevin Long to try to get back to a more comfortable spot in his stance. It paid off as he clubbed his seventh home run of the season.

“During the last five days I’ve been working with the coaches and they told me something they noticed something that I was staying back on my body,” said Sosa. “We were working on that. We’re just focused on staying in a more athletic position to hit with my body. We were working every day on that adjustment. I feel stronger with my legs and I feel like now I’m in a good position to hit.”

After blowing his first save as a Phillie on Friday, closer Jhoan Duran stood in front of the media and said he’d be ready to go the next day if the team needed him. They did, and he was. Kind of. Duran preserved the Phillies sixth win in their last eight games, but it didn’t come without a little angst. After getting Millas to ground out, Duran gave up a double to House and then a single to Hassell III to put runners at first and third. But Duran struck out leadoff hitter James Wood and got Abrams to fly out to left to finish off the Nationals.

It was the type of inning Duran needed after Friday. It was the kind of day the organization had to have as they move forward without Wheeler.

Painter’s time coming?

With the news Saturday of Wheeler being out for the season, it would seem almost inevitable that top prospect Andrew Painter would be called up at some point soon. The question of Painter’s promotion has been one manager Rob Thomson has been asked just about all season.

And just a couple of weeks ago, it seemed as though Painter wasn’t going to be an option, even when Thomson professed his desire to use a six-man rotation. That’s because Taijuan Walker had been pitching so well that the spot appeared to be his. Now, with Wheeler being out, the Painter questions once again arise.

Friday, Painter pitched five innings and allowed four hits, one run and struck out five. He also issued four walks. His command has been the biggest concern this season while at Lehigh Valley.

“Very good,” said Thomson on Painter’s outing. “I watched the game. I thought he was much better yesterday. I know he walked four guys, but he didn’t miss by much. The fastball command was much better. Stuff is still really good and velocity is really, really good. It was encouraging.”

Asked if Painter was approaching a time where he may be shut down, Thomson was adamant. “Nope. We planned it out so that he could go the rest of the season and just be a normal pitcher.”

Whether that is in Philadelphia or the Lehigh Valley remains to be seen.

“I think we just have to go day to day right now,” said Thomson.