Dodgers Dugout: Some (minor) troubling signs in the five-game losing streak

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and Bryan Cranston never contacted me after the last newsletter. Who wants to buy some really inexpensive “Breaking Bad” DVDs?

Don’t panic, but show some concern

The Dodgers have lost five games in a row. I was all prepared to write about people overreacting and giving up on the team so quickly, and overall I think that is true, but there is one thing about this losing streak that troubles me.

The Dodgers are playing with no sense of urgency. They are playing like a team that is coasting on a big lead. They are playing like a team that has a playoff spot in the bag and can turn it back on when they get closer to October.

I thought I was probably imagining things and that my general disappointment over not winning a World Series since 1988 was clouding my thoughts of a team that has been so great almost all season long. But I was listening to Rick Monday and Kevin Kennedy call Thursday’s loss on radio, and they both said the same thing: “The Dodgers look like they are sleepwalking out there.” When the team announcers begin to mention it….

Let’s take a look at the five losses and see if we can detect any trends.

Saturday, Milwaukee 3, Dodgers 0: Dodgers get only five hits, Josh Ravin gives up key two-run home run in fifth inning.

Sunday, Milwaukee 3, Dodgers 2: Dodgers get only four hits, Yu Darvish lasts only five innings, giving up all three Brewers runs.

Tuesday, Arizona 7, Dodgers 6: Rich Hill gets lit up in the first inning, giving up five runs. Dodgers rally comes up short when Yasmani Grandalgrounds out with the go-ahead run on base.

Wednesday, Arizona 6, Dodgers 4: Hyun-Jin Ryu gives up three runs in the first inning and six runs in four innings. Trailing 6-4, Dodgers have bases loaded and one out in eighth when Chase Utley strikes out and Corey Seager grounds out.

Thursday, Arizona 8, Dodgers 1: Dodgers again fall behind early, as Kenta Maeda pitches like it is the first time he has ever held a baseball. Offense gets only five hits against Zack Greinke and two Arizona relievers.

So, what do we have? Two bad starts by pitchers who very likely won’t be on the postseason roster. Two rallies that come up short (which is the most amazing thing here. We’re all used to rallies that win the game this season, not rallies that strand the go-ahead runs). Three bad offensive performances by the team.

Also, Dodgers pitchers have been among the best in baseball at getting first-pitch strikes this season. Arizona wisely decided to tee off on first pitches this series, so much so that by Thursday it looked like Maeda was afraid to throw his first pitch anywhere near the plate. Will this become a league trend, with teams abandoning a patient approach against Dodgers pitchers?

For the offense, let’s be blunt: Curtis Granderson has not been an improvement over Joc Pederson. Granderson is hitting .122 (five for 41) with the Dodgers. I thought it was a good deal when they made it, but it hasn’t worked out so far.

The offense also struggled without Cody Bellinger, and the moment he came back Corey Seager went out with an elbow injury. Seager is probably the Dodgers’ best overall hitter. So, instead of Seager (.310/.391/.500) batting second for the Dodgers, they have Granderson or Enrique Hernandez(.209/.302/.430). Any offense is going to worsen when guys hitting that poorly are in the No. 2 spot.

Here’s what seems like a typical at-bat for Logan Forsythe with runners on base recently: Strike one looking, strike two looking. Ball one outside. Swing and a miss, strike three.

OK, now that we have gotten all of that out of the way. Let’s look at the positives.

Here’s a team that is 91-41. They have won games at an unprecedented rate in Dodgers history. They were winning at a rate that is unsustainable. So, they finally have a losing streak.

This team started the season 10-12, so it’s not like they were perfect from the beginning.

The 1955 Dodgers, considered by many the greatest team in Dodgers history, once lost five games in a row, and they did it later in the season than this season’s Dodgers.

The 1963 Koufax-Drysdale Dodgers, who swept the Yankees in the World Series, once lost five in a row, and they ended the season on a three-game losing streak.

As mentioned before, the Dodgers’ recent struggles coincide with the loss of Bellinger and Seager. Every other playoff contending team has had to deal with injuries that have caused them to play worse than expected. It’s the Dodgers’ turn. And just think, it was because of injuries that the Dodgers are 91-41. Because if Andrew Toles and Adrian Gonzalez had not gotten injured, Bellinger would not be the rookie of the year lock he is today.

The Dodgers still lead the NL in ERA, starters’ ERA and bullpen ERA. They are fourth in runs scored per game.

Losing a few games could actually be beneficial. It could make them remember that this isn’t supposed to be as easy as it seemed. After Wednesday’s loss, Justin Turner said that could be the best thing that could happen to the team.

So the big question is this: Do you want to focus on the entire season, or do you want to focus on the last five to 10 games?

Are the Dodgers a perfect team with no flaws? Of course not. Will the Dodgers win the World Series? I have no idea. Neither do you. But I do know that this recent streak doesn’t mean they won’t, just like going 91-36 didn’t mean they would.

Think of it this way: If the Big Dodger in the Sky had come to you before the season and said “For $5, I will guarantee you that the Dodgers will be 91-41 on Sept. 1, but they will have lost their last five games to drop from 91-36 to 91-41,” you would have taken that deal without hesitation.

Kershaw’s back

Remember Clayton Kershaw? Tall left-handed pitcher. Pretty good at his job. He is back today, pitching against the San Diego Padres.

No one will have to come off the roster to make room for him, because today is Sept. 1, meaning rosters can expand past 25 players. Who else is coming up? Alex Verdugo, for one. And Dave Roberts says he plans to give Verdugo some playing time. Rob Segedin, Brock Stewart will come up. Probably Walker Buehler. But not Pederson, at least not right away.

Absent friends

Joc Pederson is hitting .184/.241/.327 for triple-A Oklahoma City.

Chris Hatcher is 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA for Oakland.

Sergio Romo is 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA for Tampa Bay.

Comparison

Comparing this year’s Dodgers team at this point in the season with the teams that posted the best records in Dodgers history (since 1901).

2017: 91-41, .689

1953: 91-41, .689 (finished season 105-49, .682, lost World Series to Yankees)

1942: 91-41, .689 (finished season 104-50, .675, did not make postseason)

1941: 85-47, .644 (finished season 100-54, .649, lost World Series to Yankees)

1955: 86-46, .652 (finished season 98-55, .641, won World Series over Yankees)

1974: 83-49 .629 (finished season 102-60, .630, lost World Series to Oakland)

Magic numbers

The Dodgers are on pace to finish with a 112-50 record.

Their magic number to clinch another NL West title is 14.

Ask Ross Porter

John Loftus asks: Ross, how many players have won the Little League World Series and the MLB World Series?

Ross: No one, John. There have been 11 men who competed in both, but only one was on the winning Little League squad. That was Jim Barbieri in 1954 with Schenectady, N.Y. He had one at-bat in the 1966 World Series for the Dodgers and struck out. The Orioles swept the Series.

Kris Freyermuth asks: What is the most hits allowed by a pitcher credited with a shutout?

Ross: In 1913, Walter Johnson of Washington allowed Boston 15 hits in his 15 innings and won, 1-0.

Paul Ferrer asks: Why isn’t the rule about moving the last 45 feet in the first base running lane enforced?

Ross: A runner is required to run in a three-foot zone with both feet in or over the zone or on the lines marking the lane. The rule is based on the umpire’s judgment as to whether the runner was intentionally interfering.

Les Goldberg asks: Hey, Ross, what was the longest home run Frank Howard ever hit?

Ross: Les, Howard was 6-7, weighed 275 pounds, and played 16 years in the majors, seven with the Dodgers (1958-1964). His longest homer was said to be 560 feet at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. In 1968, Frank hit 10 home runs in 20 at-bats. He just turned 81.

Ron Hutchins asks: Is it true, Ross, that one of his players once asked Frank Robinson if he had played baseball?

Ross: That is correct, Ron. In 2005, one of his Nationals players posed that question. Frank’s answer was “a little.” Robinson is the only man to be MVP in the AL & NL, hit 586 homers, and he went into the Hall of Fame 35 years ago. Frank celebrated his 82nd birthday yesterday.

Next series

Friday, 7 p.m., Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw, 15-2, 2.04) at San Diego (Dinelson Lamet, 7-5, 4.60)

Saturday, 12:30 p.m., Dodgers (Brock Stewart, 0-0, 3.38) at San Diego (Clayton Richard, 6-13, 4.96)

Saturday, 7 p.m., Dodgers (Yu Darvish, 8-10, 3.88 overall and 2-1, 3.13 with the Dodgers) at San Diego (Jhoulys Chacin, 11-10, 4.03)

Sunday, 1:30 p.m., Dodgers (Alex Wood, 14-1, 2.41) at San Diego (Luis Perdomo, 7-8, 4.69)

Note: Pitchers are subject to change

And finally

Ellen Kershaw: Family life keeps Clayton Kershaw grounded during the season. Read all about it here.

Andre Ethier is dealing with a neck issue as September activation approaches. Read all about it here.

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me and follow me on Twitter:@latimeshouston.

Houston.mitchell@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimeshouston