Dodgers in ‘Playoff Environment’ Against Orioles and Diamondbacks

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the midst of a pivotal week with series against two playoff contenders: the Baltimore Orioles and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers lost their first game to the Orioles on Tuesday, losing some ground in a tight battle for the National League West. They bounced back with a win, and now hope to win the series on Thursday.

Next up is a visit to Chase Field for a four-game series against the Diamondbacks.

“I still think we’re in playoff mode,” manager Dave Roberts said of the Dodgers’ current streak.

“I think Brandon (Hyde) has done a great job with those guys. They’re a fun, young group, athletic. They can pitch, they can hit, they can catch. I’m looking forward to seeing them. It’s going to be a playoff environment, and especially when we go back and play the Diamondbacks, we’ve played those guys pretty evenly all year.

“They’re playing the best baseball they’ve played since the break. We’ve got four. I think we’re in a good position, position players and pitchers. But it’s going to be tight. We’re going to play good baseball.”

Roberts is confident the Dodgers will benefit from the intense pre-October games.

“It’s good, yeah, I think so,” he said.

“We’ve seen some really good pitching from the Mariners, obviously, and these guys can really play baseball. I like their position players. They’re equals. And Burnes is one of the Cy Young leaders in the American League, we’ve seen a lot of him.

“And you see, the Orioles fans, they travel well, so that’s fun. You see the energy even on a Tuesday night.”

This week’s game between the Dodgers and Orioles is a potential precursor to the World Series, as the teams are separated by just 2.5 games in baseball’s best record.

Teoscar Hernández: Dodgers ‘not thinking about the future’

The Dodgers’ upcoming series against the Diamondbacks could have major implications for the NL West battle, but that’s not the most important issue for Teoscar Hernández.

“We’re not thinking about the future. We’re just going to think about each game, not get ahead of things,” Hernández said of this weekend’s game.

“Like I said, we just have to think game by game and try to win.”

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