Alex Wood struggles again on road and Dodgers are back at .500 after 8-5 loss to Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays left the ballpark fat and happy Wednesday night, or at least their fans did. The Dodgers left defeated, confused and by definition mediocre.

The fans could stuff their faces at the expense of the Dodgers. Rays pitchers struck out at least 10, so fans got a free hoagie at a local sandwich shop. The Rays scored at least six runs, so fans got half off a pizza from a national chain.

The Dodgers’ 8-5 loss had a sour aftertaste in the visiting clubhouse. The starting pitcher could not keep the ball in the park. The would-be setup man could not keep the game close. The offense could not capitalize on its chances, and on the gifts of the opposition.

The Dodgers retreated to .500 for the third time in a week, with this small but alarming sample of their mediocrity: They are 11-6 against teams with losing records and 3-8 against teams with winning records.

The frustration was most evident in the sixth inning, when the Dodgers removed starter Alex Wood, after he had given up his third home run. Wood was visibly displeased at surrendering the ball, and he had a subsequent conversation with Manager Dave Roberts and pitching coach Rick Honeycutt in the dugout.

“It’s kind of a weird deal,” Wood said. “I thought I was throwing the ball really well.”

He had struck out seven and walked none, and he had made 78 pitches. But, for the first time in his career, he had given up three home runs. That accounted for all five Tampa Bay runs.

“The mistakes I made, they put ‘em out of the park,” he said. “That doesn’t usually happen to me.”

Roberts said he removed Wood with Steven Souza due up and the Dodgers down, 5-2, because Souza had homered in his last at-bat.

“I had a decision to make, to keep us in the game,” Roberts said.

Louis Coleman got the Dodgers out of the inning, but Pedro Baez gave up three runs in the next inning. Roberts said Baez was missing his spots “by two or three feet.”

He has pitched 111/3 innings this season and given up eight hits, four of them home runs, including one on Wednesday. And yet, with the prolonged struggles of Chris Hatcher and J.P. Howell, Roberts said the relievers who would set up closer Kenley Jansen for now would be Joe Blanton — and Baez.

The Dodgers scored five runs – on a single, a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly and two bases-loaded walks. They went 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position.

Yasiel Puig and Trayce Thompson nearly collided while pursuing a fly ball. Howie Kendrick and Corey Seager nearly collided while pursuing a ground ball. That one was understandable, because Kendrick was playing third base, after playing left field in the previous inning and second base in the inning before that.

Yasmani Grandal committed two passed balls in an inning. In the next inning, he took a foul ball off his right wrist. He wore an ice wrap around the wrist after the game; his status is uncertain for the Dodgers’ next game Friday.

Third baseman Charlie Culberson made a throwing error that led to an unearned run.

The Dodgers have won twice in Wood’s six starts; he is 1-3 with a 5.18 earned-run average. His home-road splits are dramatic since he joined the Dodgers last July: 2.08 in seven starts at Dodger Stadium, 6.79 in 11 starts on the road.

He has pitched seven innings in each of his two starts at Dodger Stadium this year, giving up one run each time. In his four road starts, his ERA is 8.05.

The Dodgers, so invested in analytics, do not appear concerned over Wood’s statistical discrepancy. Said Wood: “I don’t dig into the home-road splits.”

Said Roberts: “I didn’t know the home-road splits. I don’t really pay attention to where he’s pitching. I don’t even think he does.”

bill.shaikin@latimes.com