The Dodgers’ trip through Chicago ended the way the last one did: with another loss and another series sweep. Los Angeles dropped a 7-6 decision to the Cubs on Wednesday, finishing off back-to-back sweeps after also getting swept by the Boston Red Sox. That stretches the Dodgers’ losing streak to six games, their longest of the season and their first run of six straight defeats since July 4-11 last year.
It also marks the third time this season the Dodgers have been swept, and the skid has left them 8-10 in the second half. This is only the second time they’ve lost consecutive series all year, matching the stretch from April 27-May 3 against the Miami Marlins and St.
Louis Cardinals. Since the start of the 2024 campaign, the Dodgers are 7-12 against the Cubs, including a 6-8 mark at Wrigley Field.
For Eric Lauer, the night finally turned. The Dodgers had won all nine of his starts entering Wednesday, but he took his first loss with the club after Chicago kept finding barrels against him.
Pete Crow-Armstrong set the tone early with a leadoff homer to tie the game 1-1, then the Cubs grabbed control in the second inning. Nico Hoerner singled to start the frame, Dansby Swanson doubled him home, and Swanson later scored when Crow-Armstrong doubled for a 3-1 edge.
Crow-Armstrong kept damaging Lauer in the fourth, this time with a two-run homer after a Tyrone Taylor single. Chicago wasn’t done there.
Seiya Suzuki doubled and scored on an Alex Bregman single to push the Cubs further ahead. Lauer’s day ended after four innings, with six runs allowed on 11 hits and just one strikeout.
The Dodgers’ bullpen had to carry the rest, and Kyle Hurt gave up one run in 1.1 innings - a run that proved to be the difference.
At the plate, the Dodgers never stayed quiet for long, but they were too late for too much of the night. Shohei Ohtani opened the scoring with a leadoff homer, his 29th as a Dodger, and Los Angeles led 1-0 before the game tilted the other way.
For most of the night, though, the lineup couldn’t cash in. The Dodgers went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position through seven innings and stranded eight runners.
Then came the eighth, and suddenly the bats showed up in a hurry. Kyle Tucker and Mookie Betts singled with one out, setting the stage for Max Muncy’s three-run blast that trimmed the gap to three. Miguel Rojas followed with a single, and with two outs Ohtani went deep again to make it 7-6.
Alex Call was hit by a pitch and moved into scoring position, but the comeback stalled there when Kiké Hernández struck out. Call and Hernández had entered for Freddie Freeman and Andy Pages while the Dodgers were down six. In the ninth, Los Angeles couldn’t mount another threat and went down quietly.
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Dodgers Suddenly Have A Dalton Rushing Question They Didn't Expect
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The Dodgers have already adjusted their catching depth by bringing in Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia, with Rortvedt handling the primary duties until Will Smith returns. For now, the bigger question is whether Rushing can get back to catching this season at all, and the club will need to monitor how his elbow responds before knowing how much of a role he can still play. [Read more 🡒]