Dodgers Manager Says NLDS Collapse is Motivation to 'Get Better'

Dodgers manager expects the team to "get better" and "come back hungrier" after their shocking NLDS loss to the Padres.

Now that Dodgers fans have had a little time to heal from the crushing NLDS loss to the Padres, it might be time to pick at that scab and open up some old wounds again. At least, that's what Jack Harris seems to think.

Over at the Los Angeles Times, Harris has an excellent (if painful) recap of what went wrong for L.A. in their four-game loss to San Diego.

If you're of the mindset that says, "I lived through it, I don't need to rehash it this soon," you can skip to the end, where Dodgers manager Dave Roberts talks about what comes next for the team that won 111 games in the regular season and then had the most disappointing playoff exit in team history.

“The way that it ended, we’re going to come back hungrier than we’ve ever been,” Roberts said. “This has left a sour taste in all of our mouths. I think it’s more motivation to get better and finish the season as the last team standing.”

When Roberts talks about "getting better," he presumably means both the players on the roster and the roster itself. The Dodgers have three starting pitchers, the left side of their infield, and their center-fielder possibly not returning next year, so there's plenty of room to remake this roster in whatever image Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes are looking for.

A lot of people complained the Dodgers seemed complacent at times this postseason, and while a lot of that is probably just perception colored by the losses, it's also something we likely won't see again next year. Maybe things came too easily in the regular season, but this playoff debacle will certainly be a kick in the pants to remind them that nothing comes easy in October.