The Dodgers’ September report card hit a new low Thursday night against the Pirates, as the Pirates completed a three-game sweep that left the Dodgers stunned and searching for answers. For the team built on championship aspirations, the optics were brutal, shut down by their rookie sensation, Paul Skenes, who fanned eight over six scoreless innings, while the team’s offense managed just three late runs in a 5-3 loss that was all, however, decided by the fifth inning.

The defeat marks five losses in the Dodgers’ last six games, with just 16 total runs scored in that stretch. Since the beginning of July, they have stumbled to a 25-30 record, a pace that has eroded the Dodgers’ once-comfortable division cushion. The reality is stark: if the offense does not find answers quickly, it risks not only losing its NL West lead but also entering the real danger of missing the postseason altogether.

That is exactly why Blake Snell, the team’s $182 M star, chose to speak with urgency after his start. In an interview after the game shared by SportsNet LA, despite allowing five runs across five innings, Snell said that his stuff was sharp: “Result-wise, not good. But I like the pitches. I made a lot of good pitches… just sometimes it doesn’t go your way.” Yet Snell’s critique quickly shifted beyond his own outing. Asked related to the Dodgers’ issues, the pitcher did not mince words: “We’re just not playing good baseball…It’s pretty simple…We’ve got to get it going, I mean, it’s crunch time right now. We can’t really have excuses. We’ve got to figure it out and make it happen.”

 With Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts shining in the lineup, Dave Roberts’ team is too skilled to continue wasting scopes. “We’ve got to set the tone with pitching and do what we know we can do. We’re a really good team, so we’ve got to figure that out. That’s on us to do that,” Snell emphasized, highlighting the missed opportunity to gain ground after the Padres dropped two games to the Orioles.

The frustration is layered. On Tuesday, the Blue Crew managed seven runs in a loss; however, by Wednesday and Thursday, the team’s bats all but vanished. When Mookie Betts homered in the ninth, it was too little, too late. Fans seem to know the answer lies in management stepping up — the stars need to carry the load, or the season could slip away quicker than anyone expected.

While Blake Snell’s fiery statement put the onus on stars like Ohtani and Freeman, the team could soon get a much-needed boost from reinforcements.

Dodgers banking on Muncy and Edman to spark revival

Max Muncy’s rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City could not come at a better time. The star’s absence, first with a knee issue and then with an oblique strain, lined up with the team’s midseason slide. Dave Roberts highlighted how Max Muncy’s bat enhances the lineup, and with the star’s 145 wRC+ still ranking among team elites, Muncy’s return could be pivotal, specifically, as Will Smith nurses a hand injury.

Alongside Max Muncy, Tommy Edman’s versatility can add another layer of hope. Getting consistent reps in center field at the period of the star’s rehab, Edman’s return could enable the team to shuffle their outfield, where Teoscar Hernández and Michael Conforto have struggled seriously. Roberts hinted at moving Hernández to left, highlighting how Tommy Edman’s defense and speed could stabilize the Dodgers’ inconsistent roster. With postseason hopes tightening, the team’s arrivals could be the internal upgrades the Dodgers need most.

The Dodgers’ season now hinges on whether Blake Snell’s ultimatum resonates and whether some reinforcements like Muncy and Edman can manage the roster in time. With the division lead shrinking and October coming quickly, urgency is no longer optional.