Dodgers' Turnaround Since Aug. 19 Driven by Pitching, Not Offense
Los Angeles improved from 7-8 to 9-6 over its last 15 games, with run prevention — not run scoring — behind the swing, even after adjusting for opponent strength.
Published: · Figures as of September 6, 2026
Asked: How have the Dodgers' last 15 games compared with the 15 before?
Dodgers have sharpened both sides of the ball over their last 15
Los Angeles is 9-6 over its last 15 games (August 19 – September 5), an improvement from 7-8 over the 15 before that (August 3 – August 18). The bigger story is on the mound: run prevention has been the real driver of the uptick, not the bats.
Scoring: 4.27 runs per game over the last 15, barely up from 4.13 in the prior stretch (+0.13) — essentially flat, and still 0.23 runs below the league rate over that same window.
Runs allowed: 3.80 runs per game over the last 15, down sharply from 4.60 in the prior 15 (-0.80) — a real swing, and 0.69 runs stingier than the league average over the same span.
| Window | Scored (runs/game) | Allowed (runs/game) |
|---|---|---|
| Prior 15 (8/3-8/18) | 4.13 | 4.60 |
| Last 15 (8/19-9/5) | 4.27 | 3.80 |
Adjusting for who they actually faced strengthens the pitching story rather than explaining it away: the opponents in the recent window were themselves averaging about 4.51 runs per game coming in, so allowing 3.80 is roughly 0.7 runs better than expected against that schedule — not just a product of facing weaker offenses. The one wrinkle is Detroit and Pittsburgh, both held to essentially nothing (1.33 and 2.33 runs allowed per game against clubs that normally score well over 4), while St. Louis torched them for 7.67 in a short set — worth flagging since three of the six opponents in the window account for most of the swing.
Net effect: the same offense, a much tighter pitching staff, and a record that's turned from below .500 to a winning stretch on the strength of run prevention rather than a scoring surge. Confidence in the pitching improvement is medium-high given the schedule-adjusted number backs it up, though 15 games is still a short look and the Cardinals series shows results can swing hard even within that window.