Did the Dodgers Losing Streak Happen at the Right Time?

The LA Dodgers have done everything imaginable this year to build their roster to be the team in the National League. The team that will go all the way and plays for a World Series title. They have one of the best all around lineups in the entire game, and with the addition of Curtis Granderson in the outfield and Yu Darvish on the mound, they became that much better. They still boast the best record in all of baseball at 96 and 53, even though they're fresh off an 11-game losing streak.

To most people, they would think a spell where a team loses at this rapid rate would be negative. It was definitely a worry for many Dodgers fans, but in the long run, it may have been a blessing. Here's why.

The losing streak was a blessing.

This team was on a high. They were clicking on all cylinders, from their offense to their pitching rotation. Everything was going right. Then suddenly, it all took a turn for the worse. Their staff, one of the best in the game with Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Alex Wood, Yu Darvish, and Kenta Maeda, posted an ERA south of six during the span, while their bats went dead quiet scoring just over 2 runs per game compared to 4.36 runs per game before the streak. They posted a dismal .200 average as a lineup while hitting just .203 with runners in scoring position.

Even Clayton Kershaw struggled, arguably one of the best pitchers in the game. Cody Bellinger went down with an ankle sprain, while Corey Seager also couldn't play shortstop because of a sore right elbow. The worst part is they were losing to teams that aren't even contenders, like the Giants and Padres. But it's baseball, and it happens. Any team can beat another on any given day. That's just how this game works.

Let's look back to the 2001 Seattle Mariners. They won an astounding 116 games that year, and come playoffs, they lost in the ALCS to the Yankees. Even though they tied the major league record for most wins in a single season, it didn't mean anything come playoff time. After doing some research, there was only one four-game losing streak for the M's that year, where they were swept by Oakland. Other than that, they won on a pretty consistent basis. I seriously believe that if a team wins too much in the regular season, they're bound to lose come playoff time. In any sport for that matter.

Then there's the 2002 Oakland A's. As we all know, Billy Beane built that team on a different sabermetric approach, acquiring low-income players who could get on base. They ended up winning 20 games in a row about a month before the postseason, then lost in the American League Division series to the Minnesota Twins, the team who also ended their 20-game streak.

This team was a little bit different than our 2017 LA Dodgers. LA is built with high-end players who can hit for power, hit for average, and solid arms on the bump who can get it done, whether it's starters or relievers. My point being is that this losing streak that LA has just gone through will be a benefit to them. It opened up their eyes that they're not invincible; they can be beaten. It made them realize that they need to buckle down and figure it out to get ready for playoff baseball. It's clear they can win; they have done it all year and they will most likely break the 100-win barrier. With Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager back healthy and playing their respective positions, they should be set. Yu Darvish has struggled since coming over from Texas at the deadline, but if he can figure it out that's going to be a huge boost to their rotation because he has some filthy stuff. It's also clear they have taken the foot off the pedal. Manager Dave Roberts hasn't fielded the same lineup since early August because they have so much depth on their bench.

But now, it's time to be serious and get back to their winning ways. The losing streak woke them up; it's time now to start winning some ball games and play like the Dodgers team that was tagged with the best team in baseball just weeks ago.

Will the Dodgers make the World Series? Regardless of the losing streak, I do believe so. They are a better team than the Cubs (biggest threat in the NL In my opinion) this year in all aspects numerically, and depth-wise. They have what it takes to go all the way.

Only time will tell if they can actually make their first World Series appearance since 1988.