Fact: If you cannot handle an honest, straightforward, no BS, no fluff, uncensored answer, do NOT ask Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer a question. It’s that simple.

Following his team’s 5-3 loss to the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Wednesday night, Bauer was asked what he thought of his performance and about his National League West second-place team being swept by the NL West third-place Padres.

“They absolutely kicked our ass from an intensity standpoint. They came to play, and we didn’t,” Bauer answered, without a hint of hesitation.

That’s about as honest, straightforward, no BS, no fluff, uncensored an answer as you will ever get from anyone within the organization, who tend to (attempt to) spin the negatives to be less painful – like Dodgers manager Dave Roberts:

“We got outplayed,” Roberts said postgame. “I think we came in prepared and ready to win a series, but you look back, they got hits when they needed to, made pitches when they needed to, and made plays defensively.”

Which is more accurate, Bauer’s take, or his managers?

But here’s the thing: As every Dodger fan on the planet knows, Bauer’s answer not only applies to the Dodgers performance on Wednesday night, but for their overall performance (and perceived uncaring attitude) over the past six weeks or so; although no one in the organization is willing to acknowledge or admit it, including and especially Dave Roberts.

Although the Dodgers with their current 48-26 record still hold a (precarious) .5-game lead over the Padres and trail the NL West first-place San Francisco Giants by 4.0 games, they have lost eight of their last 20 games, several of which they absolutely positively should have won. And although Bauer’s opinion may differ from yours and many others, Wednesday night was not the first time the Dodgers had their asses kicked “…from an intensity standpoint.”

To his credit and most certainly worth noting, Bauer’s outing on Wednesday was actually pretty good. In his 6.0 innings of work, the 30-year-old Southern California native and the third overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks out of UCLA allowed only three runs on five hits while walking four and striking out 10. The problem – and make no mistake about it, it is a problem – is that the Dodger gave him very little run-support – just as they have done with all of the Dodgers starters of late.

With the Dodgers opening a six-game homestand on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium that includes two games with those aforementioned San Francisco Giants, they better “…[come] to play.”

…or else.

Play Ball!

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