Dodgers struggle offensively and with bullpen as Brewers win series
Los Angeles lost the weekend series to Milwaukee, dropping three of four games and falling three games behind in the National League standings, while offensive production and relief pitching have faltered.
Los Angeles fell 6–2 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, extending a weekend in which the defending champions lost three of four games and slipped three games behind the National League lead. The Dodgers managed only six hits and committed two errors that produced three unearned runs, while a misplayed fly ball in the ninth added two more runs for Milwaukee. Tarik Skubal, making his third start after being acquired from Detroit, worked six innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on 109 pitches, a relative bright spot for the team.
The Dodgers’ offense has been ineffective, recording just 23 hits in 127 at-bats (a .181 average) against Milwaukee pitchers, who struck out 35 batters while walking only eight. Manager Dave Roberts said the lack of a consistent offensive approach has been “cumulative” and emphasized the need for players to value every pitch. Since July, Los Angeles ranks near the bottom of the league in several hitting metrics, including runs per game (23rd), weighted runs created plus (22nd), walk rate (22nd) and on-base percentage (20th). The team’s four highest-paid hitters—Kyle Tucker, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts—combined for a 5-for-50 performance in the series, with Tucker and Freeman going hitless.
Relief pitching has also underperformed. Closer Edwin Díaz blew a save in the series opener, raising his ERA to 11.57, and the bullpen ranks 21st in ERA since the start of July and leads the league in walk rate (12.6%). The Dodgers have tied for the most blown saves (nine) over that span. Roberts acknowledged the difficulty of finding a reliable ninth-inning option.
Despite the recent setbacks, the Dodgers remain the National League’s No. 3 seed and would enter the postseason as a wild-card team. The rotation, bolstered by Skubal, Blake Snell’s recent return, and the anticipated return of Tyler Glasnow, offers a potential path to success. Shohei Ohtani, who has not pitched since early July, is working toward a comeback, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto continues to provide strong starts.
The team’s recent performance has raised questions about its ability to sustain a championship run, and manager Roberts indicated that the club is still searching for solutions as the season progresses.