What's wrong with the Dodgers? Three causes for season-high losing streak -- and why they shouldn't be worried

The Dodgers lost their fifth straight game on Tuesday night, Tarik Skubal's team debut

Aug 5, 2026 at 10:16 am ET • 4 min read

The Chicago Cubs spoiled Tarik Skubal's debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, hanging an L on the reigning two-time Cy Young winner (CHC 5, LA 1). The Cubs are 31-15 in their last 46 games and comfortably atop the National League wild-card standings. They're six games up on a postseason berth in general.

As for the Dodgers, Tuesday was their season-high fifth straight loss. They're 8-12 in their last 20 games. The Dodgers remain nine games up in the NL West, but they are going through it right now. As good as they are -- and they're very good -- the last five games (and the last 20 games) are a reminder that the Dodgers are beatable like everyone else.

"I think that you just got to kind of reset," manager Dave Roberts said after Tuesday's loss (via MLB.com). "Flush it, find a way to win a game, and not let it just compound. But it never feels good to lose. My focus right now is just forget about these last five games and be ready for tomorrow."

Mookie Betts added (via The Athletic): "It's a long season. Just a rut. We're going to be OK. I just know I've got to be better. I can't speak for anyone else."

It is indeed a long season and the last two years are a reminder of that. Last year's Dodgers had a seven-game losing streak in July and at one point went 22-32 over a 54-game span. That's exactly one-third of the season played at a 66-win pace. In 2024, they had a 10-14 stretch at midseason and a 3-6 stretch in September. It's baseball. It happens.

What specifically is wrong with the 2026 Dodgers at the moment? Here are three reasons for their recent skid.

The offense is in a rut

Since July 1, the Dodgers have averaged only 4.18 runs per game, which ranks 20th in baseball. They've scored more than four runs only three times in their last 11 games. Betts, Teoscar Hernández, and Max Muncy have all been below-average hitters since July 1 (park-adjusted), and Tommy Edman and Andy Pages are toeing the league average line as well.

For all intents and purposes, the Dodgers' offense has been a three-man army since July 1:

Freeman has been excellent, though the over-the-fence power hasn't been there. Ohtani has been both very good and shy of his usual production. Rushing will miss several weeks with a UCL tear in his throwing elbow, so you can remove his bat from the lineup now. The team's fourth-best hitter since July 1 is probably Kyle Tucker, who's hit .259/.360/.388 during that time.

Weighed by playing time, the Dodgers have the oldest collection of hitters in baseball, and not by a little either. They're at 30.7 years, and the Philadelphia Phillies are a distant second at 30.2 years. This offense is a little long in the tooth and we're seeing its effects in some places. Are they worn down? Is this age-related decline? Both? Either way, the offense has been subpar for weeks now.

The bullpen is coming apart

Twice during the five-game losing streak, the Dodgers either had the lead or the game was tied in the seventh inning or later, and the bullpen blew it. The bullpen ranks 16th in ERA and 11th in win probability for the season. Since July 1, it's 24th in ERA and 22nd in win probability. A bullpen that was mediocre to start with has been outright bad the last few weeks.

Evan Phillips returned from Tommy John surgery last month and has surrendered four homers in 8 ⅔ innings. Stalwart Alex Vesia has been scored upon in three of his last six appearances. Will Klein was scored upon in six straight appearances, walked eight batters in 6 ⅓ innings, then landed on the injured list with an elbow issue. The usual late-inning guys have stumbled.

The Dodgers did not have a dominant bullpen last season, hence signing Edwin Díaz over the winter. They figured it out as they went during the 2025 postseason, so there's no reason to panic on Aug. 5, but things are shaky right now. With the offense not putting points on the board as it should, the margin of error has shrunk. The bullpen having a hard time has made things worse.

They're at the limit of their rotation depth

Skubal was a necessity more than a luxury. Ohtani is unable to pitch due to knee and biceps issues. Blake Snell has been out since May 9 with an elbow issue and he walked four batters in 3 ⅔ innings in Tuesday's minor-league rehab start. Tyler Glasnow has been out with a back issue since May 6. Emmet Sheehan pitched his way down to Triple-A. Roki Sasaki is an enigma. 

Three days ago, the Dodgers needed six innings from Cole Irvin. It was his first MLB action since 2024. They have a load-bearing Eric Lauer in their rotation at the moment, and though he's been very good for them (2.96 ERA in 51 ⅔ innings), but the best on-paper team in baseball is starting Eric Lauer every fifth day and asking Cole Irvin for innings. The rotation is not in great shape right now.

Since July 1, Dodgers starters rank 24th in ERA and 22nd in WAR. Their expected ERA, which factors in the contact quality allowed (exit velocity, etc.) is a bit better at 12th, but that's still middle of the pack. Other than Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who had his own hiccup a few starts ago, the Dodgers' rotation is a bit sketchy. They needed a starter at the deadline, Skubal or otherwise.

In the big picture, the Dodgers will almost certainly be fine. This five-game (and counting) losing streak and 8-12 stretch will go down as part of the long season once October arrives and everything resets. The most important thing right now is hanging on to a top-2 seed and thus a Wild Card Series bye. The Dodgers are only a half-game up on the Atlanta Braves for that.