Anatomy of a slump

On July 28, the Dodgers had a .276 batting average and a one-game lead in the National League West. Since then, they are 3-12 and have fallen into fourth place. One reason: They were batting .231 in the 14 games before Monday. Production is dropping at the top of the order, in the middle and for the team’s once-most-reliable pinch-hitter and a top reserve.