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Dodgers must find a way to curtail their abysmal strikeout rate

Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp tosses his bat after striking out against the Phillies on Thursday night.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
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What’s up with all the strikeouts?

The Dodgers are whiffing at an alarming rate early this season. They’ve already struck out 215 times, just four below the major league-high marks of the Mets and White Sox.

By comparison, the Tigers have only 119 strikeouts in four fewer games.

You can’t get a hit if you don’t put the ball in play, which partially explains why the Dodgers have a dismal .301 team on-base percentage mark and are an unexpected 18th in runs scored.

This team is supposed to be an offensive juggernaut, but it’s shown only flashes of its potential thus far.

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Few Dodgers have been able to free themselves of this unforeseen malaise. Matt Kemp has struck out 21 times in just 60 at-bats, Andre Ethier 17 in 67, Justin Turner 13 in 37.

Strikeouts are rally killers, a crazy drain on the attack and partly explains why the Dodgers’ offense has been so inconsistent.

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