It was supposed to be a fun-filled day for the Dodgers—bouncing around on inflatables, scaling climbing walls, and enjoying street food with family under the sunny LA sky at Dodger Stadium. Instead, Family Day turned into a gloomy affair that felt more like damage control than celebration.
The Dodgers, once flying high, are now grappling with a brutal reality check. Sunday’s 6-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers wasn’t just another notch in the “L” column—it marked their fourth straight defeat, and 10th in 12 games. Even worse, they’ve been outscored 71-36 in that span, a stretch of failure not seen since 2018.
Let that sink in—71 runs allowed, only 36 scored.
The meltdown has spiraled far beyond a slump. This skid isn’t just numbers on a stat sheet—it’s becoming a mental weight, dragging down even the team’s brightest stars. “We’ve got to figure it out. We’ve got to play better,” said a visibly deflated Mookie Betts, after going just 1-for-5, sinking his July average to .189. He spoke in whispers, a rare tone from the usually confident All-Star.
Across the locker room, Clayton Kershaw didn’t hold back. “We didn’t win a game. No excuses. We’ve just got to play better,” he said bluntly. The ace was visibly fuming after being pulled in the fifth inning. Kershaw started strong, but the wheels came off in the fourth thanks to sloppy defense—an errant throw from Tommy Edman and a fielding miscue by Andy Pages gifted Milwaukee two runs. Kershaw was forced to throw 29 grueling pitches that inning alone.
Frustration is boiling over. And who can blame them?
Let’s talk about Freddie Freeman, a key piece of the Dodgers’ offensive puzzle. Freeman was hit on the left wrist by a José Quintana pitch in the sixth inning, leading to a deep collective gasp from the crowd. X-rays came back negative, and the team considers him day-to-day, but the scare was very real. Manager Dave Roberts summed up everyone’s mood: “That one, I held my breath. I think we all did... to potentially lose a guy for four-to-six weeks is obviously very scary.”
If Freeman ends up missing time, the team may shuffle players around. Catcher Dalton Rushing could potentially see action at first base, but that’s more of a patch job than a solution.
☑️ Key Takeaway: In the past two weeks alone, the Dodgers have lost six straight games to the Brewers—a season sweep in a multi-game series, something no team has done to LA in over 20 years.
It’s not just about the losses—it’s about how they’re losing. Sunday’s defeat was plagued by three errors that led to two unearned runs. The Dodgers took the lead—twice—only to give it right back. Shohei Ohtani’s 34th homer of the season, a two-run blast in the third inning, temporarily gave the Dodgers life. Esteury Ruiz’s first home run as a Dodger in the fifth added more hope. But the bullpen couldn’t hold.
And that bullpen? Well, let’s just say it’s been a mess.
The Brewers put up three runs in the sixth off relievers Alex Vesia and Lou Trivino—on a mix of a double, three singles, and a walk. Trivino, who took the loss and fell to 3-1, saw Milwaukee steal the lead for good. The Dodgers' bullpen ERA now stands at 4.39, ranking a dismal 12th in the National League. Just to give you some perspective—they haven’t posted a scoreless relief outing since July 3.
“We just haven’t played good baseball,” said Roberts, echoing a now-familiar sentiment. But the manager didn’t stop there: “That’s the word everyone uses when things aren't going well—frustrated. But you also have to make your own breaks. You can't do things to sabotage yourself. Today, specifically, it was the defense.”
Roberts, visibly drained, then trudged back up the dugout steps to partake in the Family Day festivities. It felt symbolic—trying to slap on a smile while knowing the house is on fire.
📉 Here’s the situation, Dodgers fans:
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10 losses in the last 12 games
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Swept by Milwaukee in six straight
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Defensive lapses costing them runs
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A shaky bullpen
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Slumping stars
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Injuries looming large
Still, amid all the bad news, there was a tiny silver lining—or at least a glimmer of hope.
🎯 Rehab Progress: Both Blake Snell and Blake Treinen made appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday. Snell, recovering from left shoulder inflammation, tossed 58 pitches over four innings, allowing one run and striking out six. It was his third rehab outing, signaling he's inching closer to returning.
Treinen, sidelined with a forearm strain since April 19, followed Snell with a perfect fifth inning, striking out two. There’s optimism he could rejoin the major league roster as soon as this week.
Could their return stabilize the crumbling bullpen? Possibly. Could they help turn this ship around? Maybe. But the truth is—the problems run deeper than a few healthy arms.
The Dodgers are staring down a pivotal moment in their season. With July winding down, they’ll need to regroup, reload, and rediscover what made them contenders in the first place. “You’ve got to kind of find a way to reset,” Roberts said. “Come back fresh tomorrow and play good baseball.”
🔵 What’s Next?
The Dodgers need to:
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Clean up their defense
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Get healthy (Freeman especially)
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Reignite the bats (Betts needs to wake up)
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Reboot the bullpen
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Recapture their identity
The schedule won’t wait, and neither will the fans. The Dodgers are one of the most talent-stacked franchises in baseball, but talent means nothing without execution—and right now, they’re falling flat.
Let’s hope next Family Day has fewer frowns and more fireworks. Because if this downward spiral continues, it’s going to take a whole lot more than a climbing wall and bounce house to lift spirits in Dodgertown.
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