Dodgers Dugout: Well, that was disappointing

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and I really think the Dodgers will come back strong in Game 8.

Game 7

--I am writing this minutes after the disappointing loss. These are my thoughts now, though after the disappointment ends I may have a different view on some of this. But I doubt it.

--That will be Yu Darvish’s final game in a Dodgers uniform. I don’t lay the entire loss at his feet, because the Dodgers had multiple opportunities to score, but falling behind 5-0 so quickly is tough.

--I don’t think this is hindsight, because you could hear all of L.A. begging Dave Roberts to take Darvish out before he faced George Springer.

--Bringing in Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood and having them pitch so well will just amp up the thoughts that Roberts never should have started Darvish in the first place.

--If you are going to bring in Kershaw in the third inning and let him pitch for four innings, why not just go ahead and start him?

--Then again, if Kershaw had pitched well in Game 5, there wouldn’t have been a Game 7.

--Cody Bellinger is going to have to spend the offseason learning how to hit the low inside curveball or he is going to be the prime example of the sophomore jinx.

--Here are three very important batting lines from the series:

Corey Seager: 6 for 27, nine strikeouts

Justin Turner: 4 for 25, two RBIs (all in Game 1)

Bellinger: 4 for 28, 17 strikeouts

The fact the Dodgers won three games with those three guys hitting is astonishing.

--I don’t think anyone would have predicted that the Dodgers’ three best hitters in the World Series would be Charlie Culberson, Andre Ethier and Joc Pederson. And there’s a chance none of them will be with the team next season.

--If that was Ethier’s final at-bat as a Dodger, then it’s nice to see him go out with an RBI single.

--Who on the playoff rosters won’t be back next season? I’m guessing Curtis Granderson, Ethier, Darvish, Chase Utley. Maybe Brandon Morrow and Tony Watson and a couple of other relievers. And if Austin Barnes is truly the starting catcher, then they could trade Yasmani Grandal.

--And what to do about Adrian Gonzalez?

--Do they pick up the $8.5-million option on Logan Forsythe’s contract? Probably.

--At least we have Brandon McCarthy and Scott Kazmir signed for one more season.

--But there’s plenty of time to think about next season.

--It’s human nature to find one thing to blame for something, but there are multiple things to point to in the series loss. A tired bullpen, Kershaw in Game 5, Darvish in both his games, Kenley Jansen blowing a save, Bellinger forgetting how to hit, slick baseballs, bad strike zones, taking Rich Hill out too early in Game 2. The list goes on.

--There were also a lot of positive things in the series, but those are harder to think about today.

--And let’s not forget something important: The Houston Astros are a great team. The Dodgers didn’t lose the series as much as the Astros won it. There’s no shame in losing to the Astros.

--And guess what? The Vegas sportsbooks unveiled their 2018 World Series odds after the game. The favorites? The Los Angeles Dodgers.

And finally

Dodgers Dugout will continue through the offseason, though not as frequently. I want to thank all of you for reading and for making the subscriber numbers go up every week. It is truly a joy to get to write about the Dodgers, but it’s even more joyful to get feedback from you. Even those of you who hate me. Don’t let this loss ruin your holidays.

So let’s take a short break, gather ourselves and prepare to root on the 2018 World Series champion Dodgers. Hey, a person can hope, right?

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me and follow me on Twitter: @latimeshouston.

Houston.mitchell@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimeshouston