Dave Roberts on Dodgers getting no-hit: ‘You want it to sting a little bit’

The Dodgers are having a bad week. There’s no real way to get around this fact. They got swept by the rival Padres, then got no-hit by the Cubs on Thursday night.

Never mind that even with the four-game losing streak the Dodgers are still in a virtual tie with San Diego for second place in the National League West and, by extension, the NL as a whole. What matters is that they are losing now, and that’s clearly what’s going to happen going forward. This is how minds work.

We’ve seen far more 162-game seasons than we’ve seen 60-game seasons, even if we forget about the length of the former. Almost literally, every day is a new game.

“Obviously you want to [forget]. We need to turn the page and get ready for [Jake] Arrieta,” manager Dave Roberts said. “But I think when something like this happens, you want it to sting a little bit, because it stings me.

“It’s a combo. There’s a point that, once we get to the ballpark tomorrow, it needs to be washed.”

There are legitimate reasons for concern, with all four Dodgers starters this week allowing at least two home runs, when those same four pitchers — the ones that have provided the backbone of the team all season — allowed multiple homers just 10 times in 58 starts before then.

Playing from behind is never a good recipe, and the Dodgers haven’t led in any game since Sunday in Arizona. An offense that has only scored seven runs in their last four games hasn’t helped.

Sure, the Dodgers drew eight walks on Thursday night, tied for the fifth-most in a no-hitter in MLB history. But none of those walks led to runs, and the zero in the hit column was just the latest sign of futility for an offense that has scored three or fewer runs 11 times in their 21 games in June.

“We play 162 games. I don’t know very many teams that are hot for 162 games,” said Mookie Betts. “You go with the waves. That’s pretty much it.”

“You can’t expect teams as a unit to stay hot,” Roberts added. “I think there’s certain ways how you go about each night attacking a pitcher. I think we can get more consistent with that.”

But even with the Dodgers not providing much to write home about this week, the no-hitter was pretty hilarious. Namely, that Craig Kimbrel, and possibly the two other relievers before him, didn’t realize a no-hitter was going on until the game was over.

This is what Kimbrel told to reporters after the game, from Russell Dorsey at the Chicago Sun-Times: “When Willy gave a big fist pump, I knew something was up. And then [Tepera] ran out there and whispered in my ear, ‘You have no idea what just happened.’ Then Javy put me in a headlock and I knew pretty fast what had just happened.”

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