The Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 on Thursday, August 13th, in a crucial matchup against their former NLCS foe.
The Brewers, entering Thursday’s game, boasted the best record in the National League, and the Dodgers were a game behind following their latest team-wide slide.
The race at the top of the National League is tight, with two games separating the top three, but rather than being tied for first, the Dodgers are now two games down on the best record in the NL.
It was a game managed by Dave Roberts with a playoff-like approach, making aggressive moves to win, but it was Edwin Diaz who ultimately cost them.
Diaz came into the top of the ninth at Dodger Stadium with the trumpets sounding off, but it was the precursor to another blown save.
He got a strikeout at first with some good challenge pitches, but then he allowed four straight singles, and with the Brewers’ base-running, that is not enough since they will be aggressive.
Quickly, the lead evaporated, and while Diaz would get one more out, Alex Vesia had some bad luck as the Brewers’ style once again won out, with an RBI single sneaking through the infield.
All three runs by the Brewers were rightfully charged to Diaz, who has now blown his third save in the last week of games, including two in Arizona.
Max Muncy delivers again
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Muncy came in to pinch-hit for Miguel Rojas since the Brewers pulled their left-handed starter in favor of the hard-throwing righty Antonio Senzatela.
Senzatela came to Milwaukee from the Colorado Rockies after a resurgence year in which he was one of the best relievers in the National League, playing in Colorado of all places.
Muncy took full advantage of his history with Senzatela, along with the opposite-hand matchup, to deliver a 426-foot homer, which was 105.7 off the bat.
However, his clutch hitting would go to waste as the Dodgers lost, and the offense, despite Muncy’s moment, was disappointing.
Four hits against the Brewers is not enough, and while Diaz ended up letting the team down, the offense wasted a good night of pitching up until that point, with two runs allowed through right.
The Dodgers face the Brewers tomorrow again for the second game of the four-game showdown.
