Now the Dodgers face a new opponent -- overwhelming frustration

Frustration.

An enemy unto itself. It can hover over a team, an unwanted shroud that almost leads to subconscious expectation of failure.

The Dodgers are flailing now, stuck in one of those ruts all teams go through, which never makes it any easier while it's happening.

The Dodgers are getting strong starting pitching, but just can’t do anything right offensively. They don’t have a lot to work with right now, but even when things hint at going well, they never seem to go quite well enough.

"I think we feel a sense of frustration right now,’’ said manager Don Mattingly. "Guys are continuing to fight, but it’s frustrating at this point. We need to get over that