The Dodgers trailed after every inning but one during the three straight losses to the Phillies and have now lost eight of their past 12 games after the 5-1 defeat.
The Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas shows his frustration after lining into a double play to end the top of the eighth inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani flies out during the first inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Dodgers opening pitcher Anthony Banda throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Philadelphia Phillies’ Trea Turner celebrates as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Philadelphia Phillies’ Trea Turner runs the bases after hitting a solo home run off of Dodgers opening pitcher Anthony Banda, left, during the first inning on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Philadelphia Phillies’ Trea Turner, left, celebrates with teammate Bryce Harper after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Dodgers opening pitcher Anthony Banda throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Dodgers opening pitcher Anthony Banda throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola throws to the plate during the third inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Fans react after Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani struck out during the second inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Dodgers pitcher Landon Knack throws to the plate during the third inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas hangs on to a ball hit for a single by the Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper during the third inning on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Dodgers’ Gavin Lux, right, gestures to his dugout as he runs the bases past Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Dodgers’ Gavin Lux gestures to his dugout as he runs the bases in front of Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, left, after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Gavin Lux celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Dodgers’ Gavin Lux, right, celebrates with teammate Shohei Ohtani after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani reacts after a strike during the fifth inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Philadelphia Phillies’ Trea Turner reacts after flying out during the fifth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm catches a pop fly hit by the Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas during the sixth inning on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Philadelphia Phillies’ Brandon Marsh follows through after hitting an RBI triple during the sixth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Philadelphia Phillies’ Nick Castellanos, left, scores past Dodgers catcher Will Smith on a triple by Brandon Marsh during the sixth inning on Thursday night in Philadelphia. The Phillies completed a three-game sweep in the showdown between NL division leaders with a 5-1 win. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani breaks his bat on a ground out during the seventh inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani breaks his bat on a ground out during the seventh inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani breaks his bat on a ground out during the seventh inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani grabs a piece of his bat after he broke it on a ground out during the seventh inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Johan Rojas celebrates after making a running catch during the seventh inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Dodgers left fielder Miguel Vargas can’t reach a foul ball hit into the stands by the Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper during the seventh inning on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber hits a solo home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber drops his bat as he begins to run the bases after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber, left, runs the bases after hitting a home run off of Dodgers pitcher Ryan Yarbrough, right, during the eighth inning on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher José Alvarado celebrates after the final out of their 5-1 victory over the Dodgers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher José Alvarado, right, celebrates with catcher Garrett Stubbs after their 5-1 victory over the Dodgers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh has water, seeds, and gum poured on him as he does an on-field interview after their 5-1 victory over the Dodgers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani prepares one of his bats before their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman prepares one of his bats before their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
PHILADELPHIA — The score was tied 0-0 after the first inning at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night. That was the high point of the series for the Dodgers.
They trailed at the end of every other inning in the three-game set against the Philadelphia Phillies who completed a sweep with a 5-1 victory on Thursday night.
“We didn’t play very good that series. There’s nothing to spin it any different way,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “We didn’t hit. We didn’t do much. As a group, we just have to put it behind us, go to Detroit tomorrow and try to win a series.”
If the Dodgers viewed the series against the team with the best record in baseball as a measuring stick to determine where they stood in the National League hierarchy, the Phillies took that stick and whacked them over the head with it. The Phillies beat the Dodgers soundly in the series opener, 10-1, on Tuesday night, won a close one on Wednesday and then pulled away Thursday. The sweep by the Phillies was their first over the Dodgers in Philadelphia since May 2004.
“They’re clearly playing a lot better baseball than we are. They’re clearly a better team than we are right now,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We really didn’t do much well this series. Starting pitching, defense. We had a mistake tonight on the bases. Situational hitting, getting hits. All that kind of stuff, we were outplayed.
“I know where we’re at right now. I don’t think it has any bearing going forward. … Like I always say, no one’s gonna feel sorry for you. You gotta play better.”
The depleted Dodgers have now lost eight of their past 12 games and must be looking at the All-Star break the way a drowning man would eye a pool noodle. Since another “measuring stick” series in New York against the Yankees last month, the Dodgers have barely been a winning team (14-13).
In that time they have lost All-Star shortstop Mookie Betts and starting pitchers Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to injuries, that trio joining an already long list of players on the sidelines.
“I mean, we are injured. We have a lot of guys missing,” Freeman said. “No one really cares about that. Nor does anyone in here. This is the group we’ve got. We want to go out there and win every ballgame. We just didn’t play very well this series. We’ve got three games left to try and end on a positive note.
“We are missing a top-five player in the game of baseball in Mookie. Our rotation has taken a hit. But the guys that have been throwing for us have been throwing really good. The guys that are in there, we’ve got veteran guys. We expect to win no matter who is in this clubhouse. We just aren’t doing it right now.”
With so many pieces missing, the Dodgers “don’t have much margin for error” right now, Roberts said.
“I hate to say you’ve got to play perfect baseball to win, but it’s seeming like that,” he said.
“I think we’re getting guys opportunities. When we do get guys back, guys are going to know that they had their opportunities to perform. That’s kind of where my head is at.”
Looking to minimize damage by the dangerous left-handed hitters at the top of the Phillies’ lineup (Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper), the Dodgers ‘opened’ with lefty reliever Anthony Banda. The right-handed hitter lurking between Schwarber and Harper, Trea Turner, hit a solo home run off Banda.
Since leaving the Dodgers as a free agent following the 2022 season, Turner has gone 16 for 37 (.432) with three home runs and seven RBIs in nine games against his former team. In this series, he was 7 for 12 with two home runs and drove in more runs by himself (six) than the Dodgers scored as a team (five).
Landon Knack followed Banda and gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, Brandon Marsh. It got better for awhile but the Phillies got to him again in the sixth inning. A bloop single dropped in front of center fielder James Outman. Marsh lashed a triple into the right field corner and Johan Rojas singled through a drawn-in infield to drive in a second run.
“Yeah obviously a very, very good lineup,” Knack said. “Top to bottom, they obviously have some dudes. Props to them.”
They have some dudes on the mound too.
The Dodgers were fortunate to miss NL ERA leader (and Cy Young frontrunner) Ranger Suarez in this series. But they did face the pitchers who are second (Zack Wheeler), fourth (Christopher Sanchez) and 14th (Aaron Nola) in the league in ERA.
They didn’t fare well against the trio, managing four runs in 17 innings and batting .188 (8 for 42) with 21 strikeouts against the kind of starting rotation they thought they would have this season.
“They threw some arms at us,” Roberts said. “All series, we were playing from behind. You have to face those guys. We had Nola on the ropes early, got the pitch count up, and he managed to get through six innings.”
The Dodgers loaded the bases with one out twice Thursday – in the second inning against Nola and the eighth against reliever Jeff Hoffman. They managed to avoid scoring any runs either time.
In the second, Shohei Ohtani struck out and Will Smith bounced into a force out. In the eighth, Miguel Rojas lined into a double play, Teoscar Hernandez trapped hopelessly far off second base.
The only damage the Dodgers managed Thursday was a solo home run off the left field foul pole by Gavin Lux in the fifth inning.
“We are still a first-place team. We are still a very good ball team,” Freeman said. “But sometimes breaks come at good times. Let’s finish it off with a good series win in Detroit and play better baseball. Then it will be a good time for a break.”
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