LOS ANGELES_The Angels set a dubious Southern California standard for collapse in 1995. They coughed up an 11-game division lead in six weeks.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have coughed up 9{ games of their division lead in 11 days.
It would be essentially impossible for the Dodgers to miss the playoffs, even if they lose every game the rest of the season. That scenario is best left to the theoretical, but each nightly loss makes a nightmare scenario stir within the heads of anxious fans.
So too, apparently, does each appearance by Pedro Baez. The Dodgers' formerly reliable and still deliberate reliever gave up two runs in the 10th inning on Tuesday, with the Arizona Diamondbacks extending their winning streak to 12 games in a 3-1 victory over the Dodgers.
The Dodgers' lead for a wild-card spot is 20{ games, with 24 to play. They lead the Diamondbacks by 11{ games.
Those comfortable leads are small comfort in the moment. The Dodgers have lost 10 of their last 11 games. Clayton Kershaw started the only game they won, and they only scored one run in that game.
After winning 21 consecutive series, the Dodgers have lost four in a row _ to the Diamondbacks twice, the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers.
The Diamondbacks _ the Dodgers' possible first-round playoff opponents _ clinched the season series against the Dodgers. The Diamondbacks have not trailed in their past 98 innings.
Baez, who is in jeopardy of pitching his way off the postseason roster, was booed off the mound for the second consecutive night. He walked the first two batters in the 10th inning, with both runners coming around to score when catcher Yasmani Grandal could not handle a throw from third baseman Justin Turner.
Baez has faced 10 batters this month and retired three. Grandal, who leads the major leagues with 14 passed balls, also has committed seven errors.
The Dodgers do not resemble a confident bunch at bat, with too many players appearing to swing for the fences in trying to get the team on the scoreboard and two players running into outs at second base on Tuesday. They might have led the league in on-base percentage entering play Tuesday, but they have two walks in the past three games.
In the seventh inning, with the score tied, 1-1, Cody Bellinger fell to one knee in trying to launch-angle a bad pitch out of the ballpark. Bellinger controlled his next swing and recorded a line-drive single.
The Dodgers are one of the league's best teams when it comes to hitting home runs, but they are not nearly as effective when they need to manufacture a run. Grandal struck out and Bellinger was thrown out stealing, and the inning fizzled after a promising start.
In the ninth, Chris Taylor was thrown out trying to tag up from first base and advance to second on a fly ball to center field.
On Monday, the Dodgers waited until the sixth inning to get a hit off Robbie Ray, but they never did score.
On Tuesday, the Dodgers waited until the fifth inning to get a hit off Zack Greinke, and the hit was a home run.
Grandal hit it, leading off the inning and tying the score 1-1. The Dodgers followed with back-to-back singles from Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier _ the first hit of the season for Ethier _ but Logan Forsythe grounded into a double play and pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu struck out.
For the second consecutive evening, the Dodgers and Diamondbacks were hitless through three innings. Ryu struck out six in the first three innings, including the side in the third, then gave up a run in the fourth inning, on doubles by J.D. Martinez and Daniel Descalso.
That was the only run Ryu gave up in six innings. He gave up three hits and five walks; his earned-run average since the All-Star break is 2.60.
Martinez hit four home runs on Monday, tying a major league record. He came closest to another home run on Tuesday when he flew out to the warning track.
