The Los Angeles Dodgers experienced another tough night, losing 6-2 to the Giants. This marks their fourth consecutive loss by four or more runs.
It is the first time the team have experienced such a streak since July 1-4, 1936.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto faced all but six of the Giants hitters, but half of them scored. The Dodgers twice loaded the bases with one out, but only managed to score one run.
Yamamoto’s Struggles and Offensive Shortcomings
Yamamoto gave up a season-high five earned runs. The offense failed to deliver the big hit, and the bullpen extended the deficit in both contests against the Giants.
Between 1936 and now, every other franchise has had at least four such streaks of four-plus games, making this unusual territory for the two-time defending World Series champions.
The Dodgers have been held to four or fewer runs in 15 of their past 20 games. The lack of offense has put pressure on the pitching staff.
Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the difficulty, saying, “When you’re not just kind of putting up crooked numbers, it’s just hard when the margin is thin. And right now, it’s just been thin.”
Pitching Breakdown and Key Moments
Yamamoto struck out eight batters across 6 1/3 innings. He left the game with the Dodgers trailing by one run after allowing three solo home runs to the Giants’ eighth and ninth hitters.
Yamamoto left runners on the corners with one out in the seventh inning. Right-hander Blake Treinen allowed both runners to score.
After a strong start, Yamamoto gave up a 1-1 cutter to Giants backup catcher Eric Haase, who hit a home run to the left-field bleachers. Yamamoto retired six of his next seven batters before encountering more trouble at the bottom of the order.
With two outs in the fifth inning, Harrison Bader hit a 1-2 splitter for a home run to left field. Haase then hit a first-pitch four-seamer to left-center, marking the first time Yamamoto has allowed multiple home runs to a single player in the Majors.
Yamamoto said, “Overall, I think I was throwing pretty good pitches, except the three pitches I mislocated.”
Yamamoto had a 1-2-3 sixth inning. He then gave up back-to-back singles to start the seventh.
Treinen allowed one run to score on a Drew Gilbert dribbler in front of the plate and another two on a Jung Hoo Lee double.
Early Leads and Missed Opportunities
The Dodgers held one-run leads after the first and third innings. They missed opportunities to extend their lead.
Will Smith opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly, but the first inning ended with runners on first and second. Shohei Ohtani hit his first homer since April 26.
The Dodgers’ offensive struggles and pitching woes have culminated in a four-game losing streak by a significant margin.