The closer is no longer inevitable. The ace walked the park in his last start. The lineup lacks continuity and consistency. The bullpen behaves like butane.
And on Sunday, in a 4-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants, the reigning National League rookie of the year was benched for what his manager perceived as a lack of hustle.
Through 27 games, the 2018 edition of the Dodgers has offered more headaches than postgame handshakes, more defeats than victories. They are closer to the basement of the NL West than the summit.
The tension flared on Sunday afternoon when Roberts punished Cody Bellinger.