Dodgers suffering erosion but not implosion (yet) as losing streak reaches four

In a quiet clubhouse, Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis furrowed his brow and issued a warning.

“We haven’t won anything yet,” Ellis said. “We haven’t won a thing. So this is time for us to buckle down.”

Once a victory lap, the Dodgers’ stretch run has turned into a limp. Gradually, they are facing the possibility that their last dozen games may involve more meaningful baseball than they would’ve hoped. A fourth consecutive loss, 8-0 to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, equals their season worst, and it spiraled into ugliness late.

A five-run top of the ninth featured Alex Guerrero playing a popup as if his GPS had malfunctioned, a run-scoring wild pitch and a three-run homer.

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The Dodgers remain well-positioned to clinch the division, and a historic collapse would be needed to erode their six-game lead over the San Francisco Giants with 12 games to play.

A few more losses could, at least, make the final days of the season interesting as one series looms like a darkening cloud: The Dodgers still must play four games at San Francisco, where they are winless in six games this season and scoreless in their last three.

“We should look at it like we need to win our way in,” Manager Don Mattingly said.

If the Dodgers do avoid the improbable, they will need a fourth starter for the postseason. Left-hander Alex Wood has delivered a compelling audition. In two starts since his worst game of the season, when he was shelled for eight runs in less than two innings, Wood has been suffocating.

In his last 141/3 innings he has given up two runs (both Tuesday) and struck out 11 batters. He gave up three hits in 61/3 innings Tuesday.

“I thought I had command of my fastball in and out,” Wood said.

Wood threw just two mistakes. In the fourth inning, shortstop Nick Ahmed smacked a leadoff double and was brought in with an RBI groundout by center fielder A.J. Pollock.

In the seventh, Pollock sat on a changeup, Wood’s last pitch of the night, and lined it for a solo home run.

The Dodgers had only three hits. During the losing streak, they have scored just nine runs in four games.

They have left themselves a cushion for such a stumble. They led by as many as 81/2 games on Sept. 19. The 1995 Angels, by comparison, needed more than twice as long to squander the same size lead.

It is not yet time to panic, Mattingly said.

“Go ahead and scream and yell and turn over tables and stuff?” he said. “Not quite there yet. Our guys, we’ve been through this.”

They also know no lead is invincible.

“You like to think it’s inevitable,” Ellis said. “But you know it’s not, especially right now with the team that’s chasing us, and knowing there’s games ahead with them. This thing’s far from over.”

zach.helfand@latimes.com