Dave Roberts challenges Dodgers bats in World Series Game 6

toronto — It was a cold, rainy and gray Thursday afternoon outside the Rogers Center.

But on the field, the Dodgers found some emotional sunshine.

No, that wasn’t where the team wanted to be, facing a 3-2 World Series deficit entering Game 6 on Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays.

No, there wasn’t much to feel good about after a disastrous 48 hours in Games 4 and 5 of the Fall Classic, in which the Dodgers relinquished control of the Series and allowed their title defense to be put on life support.

But during today’s off-season training, the club tried to recover from that disappointment and reframe the persecuted mentality that had permeated the club after Game 5.

Every player attended the field, although attendance was optional after a long night of travel.

“That was very exciting for me, and just speaks to where these guys are at,” manager Dave Roberts said. “They realize the job is not complete.”

Roberts brought some lightness to the start of practice as well, challenging speedster Hyeseong Kim to a race around the bases — only to stumble head-on on the turn in second while trying to maintain his comedic big start.

“Cut the cameras,” Roberts shouted to the media, playfully grabbing his hamstrings and wiping dirt off his sweatshirt.

After that, the Dodgers got to work on their primary task: trying to synchronize an offense that has looked lost in the last two games and has struggled through most of October.

“I’ve been thinking about this a lot…and I can dive into my thoughts,” Roberts said of the team’s offensive struggles, which he noted could include another lineup change for Game 6.

“But I think at the end of the day, they just have to compete and fight in the hitter’s box. It’s a one-on-one game, hitter versus pitcher, and that’s it. Really. I mean, I think that kind of mentality is all I’m going to look for. And I expect good things to come from that,” Roberts continued.

In the loss to Chavez Raven, the team’s second-leading offense struggled to hone that spirit. The Dodgers scored just three runs, had a woeful 10 hits and looked more like the version of themselves that floundered through much of the second half of the season before entering the playoffs late in the season.

Their biggest stars stopped hitting. Their team-wide approach has gone by the wayside. And in the aftermath of Game 5, they almost seemed to be searching for their identity as a team at the plate — trying to combine their naturally gifted slugging ability, with the need to work more competitively at bats and earn hitable pitches first.

“We don’t have good bats,” third baseman Max Muncy said.

“We have to figure something out,” Mookie Betts echoed.

Take a quick look at the numbers in this World Series, and it’s relatively easy to explain the Dodgers’ hitting problems.

Shohei Ohtani (who had another Ruthin’ round of batting practice Thursday) hasn’t had a hit since reaching base nine times in Game 3’s 18-inning marathon. Betts (who spent as much time batting as everyone else on Thursday) hit bottom with a three-for-25 performance.

Other important bats, including Muncy and Tommy Edman, are hitting under .200. As a team, the Dodgers have 55 hits (11 more than the Blue Jays), a .201 overall average and just six hits in 30 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

“We have a lot of guys who are not hot right now, who are not feeling their best,” Edman said Wednesday night. “But we have to turn the page, and hopefully we can swing it better in the next couple of days.”

Kiki Hernandez added: “As a group, it’s time for us to show our character and put up a fight and see what happens. … It’s time for us to show attack.”

Better production from Betts would be a good start.

On Wednesday night, the shortstop didn’t mince words about his recent offensive struggles, saying he’s “been terrible” after batting .164 in 13 games since the start of the National League Division Series.

Roberts tried to take some pressure off the former MVP in Game 5, moving him from second to third in the adjusted batting order. But then he produced another blank performance, Roberts simplifying the task for his 33-year-old star.

“Focus on one game, be good at one game,” Roberts said. “Go out there and compete.”

On Thursday, that was Betts’ focus, as many people around the team noticed the quiet, renewed confidence he carried through the day’s offseason batting practice session. He had long conversations with hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc, special assistant Ron Roenicke, and Roberts about the batting cage. He searched for answers to a swing that recently resulted in too many shallow popups and foul balls.

“He looked great,” fellow hitting coach Aaron Bates said. “Actually, his head was in a good place. The morale was good. The whole group, the guys were great. Everyone came in and did their job.”

For the Dodgers to salvage their season, Betts alone will not need to find a shift.

While the Blue Jays’ Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage pitched well in Games 4 and 5, the Dodgers also seemed to struggle to adapt their offensive scheme — stuck in an “in-between” situation, as Roberts and several players noted, both trying to attack fastballs and protect against secondary stuff.

“Sometimes we get too aggressive,” outfielder Teoscar Hernandez said. “Sometimes we’re too patient.”

“It looks like the bats are falling on us now,” Kiki Hernandez added. “We’re getting pitches that should be hit, and we’re missing them. We’re extending the zone with two strikes.”

Being in the middle was an issue for the Dodgers late in the season, when they ranked just 12th in the majors in scoring after the All-Star break. That it has happened again raises a familiar question about the club’s identity.

Do they want to be a slow, aggressive squad that lives and dies on their home turf? Or more of a contact-minded unit capable of grinding bats and putting pressure on the opposing pitcher’s pitch count. Roberts’ emphasis on better “competition” suggests the need to do more of the latter.

Freeman echoed that idea leading up to Game 5.

“If we’re going to go up there and just try to hit hard shots, that’s not the name of the game,” Freeman said. “We just need to check in and have, like, almost a 0-1 mentality. Just build the roles, extend them, the work matters, and let’s be who we are.”

So, how can they do that, heading into a Game 6 matchup with pitcher Kevin Gausman who excels at mixing the fastball with the splitter?

“Basically, you have to stick to your strengths,” Bates said. “And see what the next pitcher brings to the table.”

The one silver lining: The Dodgers have been in this place before.

Last year, early in their World Series run, they faced a similar situation in the NLDS against the San Diego Padres, where they won back-to-back games with offensive outbursts that helped them capture the eventual World Series title.

“We can do it again,” Freeman said.

“I think we are a more talented team than we were last year,” Kiki Hernandez added.

Going into Friday, they have two games to prove it. Now or never. Do or watch their dreams of establishing a dynasty die.