Dodger Stadium has felt a little too quiet lately, and Monday night was no exception. As the home team faced off against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the atmosphere was heavy, not just from the sea of empty seats in the upper deck, but from the palpable frustration of fans witnessing a 9-5 defeat that extended Los Angeles’ losing streak to four games—their longest of the season.
The Dodgers didn’t just stumble through this one; they fell hard, facing boos from the crowd after a performance that showcased flaws across nearly every aspect of play. Early defensive missteps set a troubling tone. In the first inning, center fielder Hyeseong Kim misjudged a fly ball in the twilight sky, leading to two earned runs when the error could have been avoided. Just a frame later, third baseman Max Muncy threw wildly to first base on a routine grounder, allowing another run to score—though this play was ruled a base hit. It was the kind of outing that had Dodger fans shaking their heads in disbelief.
The pitching struggles compounded the woes. Left-handed opener Jack Dreyer followed Muncy’s misplay by missing high over the backstop with a pitch that let a runner advance, ultimately paving the way for a sacrifice fly. When Landon Knack took the mound in the third, two disastrous home runs followed—one to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a down-and-in slider and another to Gabriel Moreno on an inside fastball. The pair of long balls highlighted the pitching vulnerabilities that have plagued the Dodgers in recent games.
There were glimmers of offensive brilliance, but they felt like small beacons amidst the storm. Mookie Betts hit two solo home runs, reigniting hopes for a breakout season. Shohei Ohtani also smashed his 17th home run to reclaim the MLB lead, yet all three home runs came with no one on base. Ultimately, they represented the Dodgers’ only hits off Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt, who navigated through six innings with relative ease, showing great poise while the Dodgers were unable to muster a single swing-and-miss.
Manager Dave Roberts put the situation succinctly: “It’s hard to start games behind before you take an at-bat. We’ve given up runs in the first inning. We need to fight harder to put up that zero and set a tone for the game.”
The Dodgers, now sitting at a 29-19 record, have steadily battled through shaky defense and inconsistent offense, but perhaps the most pressing concern has been their pitching staff. With an earned run average currently sitting at 4.28—ranking 22nd in the majors—there’s a palpable sense of urgency to rectify this growing issue. This is the highest ERA for the franchise at this stage of the season since 2010.
A big part of the problem is clear: starters Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, and Roki Sasaki are all sidelined with injuries. This situation has forced the Dodgers to rely on their less-experienced pitchers, like Dreyer and Knack. The bullpen has felt the strain as well, with Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, and Kirby Yates all out of action.
Betts acknowledged the challenge ahead, saying, “Going through these situations is tough, but we’re battling with what we got.” There may be a silver lining, however, as several injured players are starting to make progress. Glasnow and Snell are moving forward in their throwing programs, while Sasaki is expected to begin throwing soon during the upcoming road trip. Ohtani, who has been diligently preparing in the bullpen, is ramping his pitch count back up, targeting a return to the mound around the All-Star break.
Yet, for the time being, Roberts believes the rest of the active roster must step up their game. “It’s not the staff we thought we’d have this season, but I believe in what we do have,” he shared. “We’re just not executing as we should, especially when it comes to getting ahead of hitters and keeping them in the ballpark.”
One area for improvement looms large—getting ahead in the count. Roberts highlighted that the Dodgers entered the game with a first-strike rate of just 59.8%, placing them 24th in the majors. Falling behind early has led to extended innings and more taxing workloads for the pitching staff.
While the Dodgers did improve in this metric on Monday, starting 27 of 49 at-bats with a strike, it didn’t translate to success. Dreyer needed 38 pitches to navigate just two innings, while Knack was forced to throw 106 in his five frames.
Fans began to trickle out of the stadium as reliever Matt Sauer surrendered a two-run homer to Geraldo Perdomo in the eighth. The collective sense of disappointment lingered in the air, capturing the essence of one of the team’s flattest performances of the season. As the Dodgers attempt to right the ship, there remains a palpable hope that the returning stars can soon rejuvenate this struggling club.
