“I think, to use a tennis analogy, we’re holding serve,” Roberts said.

Roberts pointed to the team’s improved defense, even though the Padres tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning on a throwing error by Betts, the former right fielder and second baseman who is now playing shortstop.

“To say where we’re at, whether it’s the standings or the win-loss, that’s a good thing,” Roberts said. “That speaks to the guys in that room.”

Roberts backed the players at the bottom of the order to eventually hit, citing their track records. He’s right. They should. But if their recent playoff disappointments have taught the Dodgers anything, it’s that hitting regular-season pitching isn’t the same as hitting postseason pitching. Will the bottom of their lineup vanish again in October?

The bullpen’s shortcomings have been magnified by the rotation’s issues. With a 3-0 record and 2.25 earned-run average Glasnow looks like an ace. In his most recent start, he struck out 14 batters over seven scoreless innings. However, the Dodgers are still in the process of figuring out what they have in the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, James Paxton and Bobby Miller, who was placed on the injured list. Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw should rejoin the team at some point, but the two former All-Stars are returning from major operations and the team can’t be certain of what it has in them.

If the Dodgers are forced to rely on their bullpen too much, they can once again find themselves in the position they were in on Sunday: with J.P. Feyereisen on the mound in the seventh inning of a tie game. Feyereisen, who didn’t pitch last year as he recovered from a major shoulder operation, loaded the bases and gave up a three-run triple to Jurickson Profar.

“Certainly not ideal,” Roberts said.

With Evan Phillips and Daniel Hudson unavailable on this night because of their recent workloads, what choice did the manager have?

The Dodgers can take solace in the reality they have a foundation like any other team in baseball. Betts is hitting .375 with six homers. Ohtani is batting .338, Freeman .299 and Smith .371. They have something formidable to build on.

But the point is they still have to build. They need some players to play better. They need others to return from injuries. They need to find outside reinforcements at the trade deadline. Otherwise, this October will look like previous ones. The elements for that are in place too.

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