Dodgers fall again to the Diamondbacks with 3-1 loss in extra innings

The Angels set a dubious Southern California standard for collapse in 1995. They coughed up an 11-game division lead in six weeks.

The Dodgers have coughed up 9 1/2 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.

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. They have not trailed in their past 98 innings, the third-longest streak in major league history.

Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal was not at all apprehensive about the possibility of a playoff series against Arizona. “We know we’re the better team,” he said.

The Dodgers’ lead for a wild-card spot is 20 1/2 games, with 24 to play. They lead the Diamondbacks by 11 1/2 games.

Those comfortable leads are small comfort in the moment. The Dodgers have lost 10 of their past 11 games. Clayton Kershaw started the only game they won, and they only scored one run in that game.

Baez, who is in jeopardy of pitching his way off the postseason roster, was booed off the Dodger Stadium mound for the second consecutive night. He walked the first two batters in the 10th inning, with both runners coming around to score when a throw from third baseman Justin Turner caromed off the runner, then off Grandal. The error, originally charged to Grandal, was later assessed to Turner.

“No time to react,” Grandal said.

Baez has faced 10 batters this month and retired three.

“I have confidence in Petey,” manager Dave Roberts said of Baez. “Obviously you don’t want to go out there and walk the first two guys.”

The Dodgers do not resemble a confident bunch at bat, with too many players appearing to swing for the fence 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 — running on his own, not on the orders of Roberts — 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. “If I had it to do again, I’d stay at first,” Taylor said.

Turner applauded the aggressiveness of Bellinger and Taylor. “Just because things aren’t going right for us, I don’t think we should play timid, or scare off,” Turner said.

Grandal homered off Zack Greinke for the Dodgers’ lone run. Hyun-Jin Ryu gave up one run over six innings for the Dodgers.

Roberts said he has had team meetings after some games during this skid, but not after this one. If the Dodgers were going to turn into mortals, Grandal said, this was the time to do it.

“I’m glad it’s happening,” Grandal said. “Might as well happen now instead of in the playoffs.”

bill.shaikin@latimes.com

Follow Bill Shaikin on Twitter @BillShaikin

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