LOS ANGELES _ The wave of incompetence that has engulfed the Los Angeles Dodgers caught a 23-year-old rookie in its wake on Sunday. Consider Walker Buehler a true Dodger _ at least, a true Dodger circa September of 2017 _ after serving up a grand slam in the eighth inning of a 8-1 defeat to Colorado.
In a season of mind-numbing statistics, in which a 116-win season once felt possible, the Dodgers extended its recent string of futility to 10 defeats in a row, with 15 losses in their last 16 games. The Dodgers (92-51) had not lost 10 in a row since June of 1992.
Buehler arrived with his team already trailing by two. He is the organization's top pitching prospect, a potential fixture in the rotation of the future, with a chance to aid the bullpen during October. He walked a pair of batters and gave up a single to load the bases. Manager Dave Roberts let Buehler face Rockies slugger Mark Reynolds, who smashed a 99-mph fastball over the center-field fence.
After an abysmal homestand, the Dodgers have seen their lead in the National League West wither to nine games. The team led Arizona by 21 games on Aug. 25.
Roberts received a visitor before the game. Tommy Lasorda, the Hall of Fame manager, stopped by the clubhouse to offer his support.
"With what we're going through," Roberts said, "he just wanted to put his hand on my shoulder and say 'I've been there. It's going to be OK.' "
Platitudes only carry so much weight. As Roberts projected the upcoming game, he placed the onus on pitcher Rich Hill to "set the tone." The game did not cooperate with Roberts' wishes.
Hill walked the first batter of the game, outfielder Charlie Blackmon, as the left-hander was unable to receive strike calls near the top of the zone from umpire Mark Wegner. Up next, second baseman D.J. LeMahieu hit a ground ball that snuck up the middle. Another grounder, this one hit by third baseman Nolan Arenado in an area vacated by Corey Seager, produced a run.
Just like that, the Dodgers were behind. Arenado unleashed more punishment in the third. He walloped an 86-mph fastball into the left-field seats for a solo shot. Hill did not allow another run, but exited after five innings.
The offense extended its lengthy slumber. In the first four innings, they stranded seven runners against Colorado starter Tyler Chatwood. After singles by Seager and Justin Turner in the first, Cody Bellinger struck out and Austin Barnes grounded out. Chris Taylor lined out with two aboard in the second. Curtis Granderson hit a harmless flyball with two on in the third.
When the Dodgers acquired Granderson, they expected him to draw walks and hit home runs against right-handed pitchers. The team figured he would be a competent, professional hitter who could replace Joc Pederson in the lineup. Granderson has fallen well short of expectations.
Heading into Sunday's game, he was batting .104 as a Dodger without an extra-base hit in September. Roberts diagnosed pitch selection as the source of Granderson's woes.
"He needs to swing at strikes and take balls," Roberts said. "There are pitches in the strike zone where he's not ending the at-bat, he's fouling off. And there are some times that he goes out of the strike zone. Once he can get back to being in the strike zone, he'll get back to who he is."
Granderson could not make that transition on Sunday. After a leadoff single by Barnes in the sixth, Granderson fouled back a pair of thigh-high fastballs, then fanned on a third for his 24th strikeout in 21 games as a Dodger. Logan Forsythe provided a tidy end to the inning by grounding into a double play.
