After getting shut out by the Milwaukee Brewers in the series opener, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ offense came to life on Saturday. But despite scoring seven runs, the Dodgers still couldn’t get the victory. Los Angeles has now lost five straight games to a red-hot Brewers team.
Following the Dodgers’ latest defeat, their ninth loss in the last 11 games, Orel Hershiser attempted to explain what went wrong.
“The pitching staff was hanging breaking balls and this Milwaukee team was not missing them. And they’re hitting the ball over the fence,” Hershiser noted, per SportsNet LA.
“The Dodgers get three home runs, don’t win. Get seven runs, don’t win. At least half the team’s feeling good about where they’re at going into tomorrow,” he added.
The Dodgers’ offense shows up in latest loss to Brewers
The offensive outburst was a welcome sign for Dodgers fans. Shohei Ohtani ended the drought with a big two-run blast in the third inning, helping LA score seven runs for just the second time in the last 18 games.
The Dodgers’ July slump has loosened the team’s stranglehold on the division. Los Angeles had a nine-game lead in the NL West on July 3. After their latest loss on Saturday, the lead has been cut in half. The San Diego Padres are now just 4.5 games behind the Dodgers.
The Brewers, on the other hand, have now won nine-straight games and 10 of their last 11. The hot streak has Milwaukee in the thick of the NL Central race as the team is just one game behind the Chicago Cubs.
The Dodgers will send future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw to the mound on Sunday, hoping he can lead the team to a win over the Brewers.
“I think Clayton’s gotta make some pitches. I’m not sure he’s gonna get a lot of swing-and-miss against this team but he can get a lot of weak contact. And if he continues to hit his spots, hopefully he can turn this tide around,” Hershiser advised.
The Brewers will counter Kershaw with Jose Quintana. In his last outing, the veteran starter dominated the Dodgers, allowing one run on two hits in six innings.
