News Analysis: ‘We need them.’ Why it’s crucial for Dodgers to find ‘spark’ from bottom half of lineup

Andy Pages hit an RBI single during Wednesday’s win over the Mets as the bottom of the lineup showed signs of life for the Dodgers. “It felt a lot like last year’s playoffs,” infielder Miguel Rojas said, “when we couldn’t get it going.” Rojas was referring to the team’s recent offensive slump, a two-week malaise in which the Dodgers averaged just 3.5 runs per game while losing nine of 16 and five in a row — their longest losing streak in the last five years. Yet, as Rojas noted pointedly, the skid brought back memories of last year’s National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, when the offense disappeared in a three-game sweep. Wednesday was one of the best games the Dodgers’ bottom half put together all year, highlighted by four hits from Rojas, a home run from Vargas and two-hit efforts from Heyward and Kiké Hernández. “But today, you can see when they’re taking productive at-bats, getting hits, taking walks, good things happen.” Still, that was just one strong game, one bounce-back series.