Dodgers Suffer Sixth Consecutive Loss After Ninth-Inning Collapse, Brewers Walk It Off With Clutch Single in 3-2 Thriller
The Los Angeles Dodgers are officially in a free fall. A team known for its depth, discipline, and late-inning composure has now dropped six consecutive games, and this latest loss might sting the most. On a warm Milwaukee night at American Family Field, the Dodgers took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth, seemingly poised to snap their losing streak. Instead, the Brewers mounted a dramatic comeback, capped by a walk-off single that sealed a 3-2 win and plunged the Dodgers deeper into one of their worst skids in recent memory.
The loss didn’t just mark another blown opportunity for a team struggling to find its footing. It also exposed a troubling trend: an inability to close games, especially from a bullpen that, once a strength, has become alarmingly unreliable in high-leverage situations.
The Dodgers entered the ninth inning with a narrow one-run lead thanks to a strong start from veteran right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who rebounded from his previous rough outing to deliver seven innings of one-run ball. Glasnow was sharp, commanding both sides of the plate and utilizing his curveball effectively to keep Brewers hitters off balance. He exited after throwing 103 pitches, handing the game over to the bullpen with a slim 2-1 lead.
Evan Phillips, the Dodgers’ closer and one of the most dependable arms in baseball over the past two seasons, was given the ball for the ninth. With the Brewers crowd buzzing and their team down to its final three outs, Phillips looked to slam the door. But baseball has a cruel way of flipping scripts.
A leadoff walk put immediate pressure on Phillips. From there, a softly hit single and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases with just one out. Phillips nearly escaped with a game-ending double play, but the ball took a tricky hop on shortstop Miguel Rojas, who could only record the out at second. The tying run crossed the plate, and momentum had shifted entirely. With two outs and runners on the corners, Brewers pinch-hitter Owen Miller delivered the dagger—a clean single to left that sent the Milwaukee faithful into a frenzy and the Dodgers into a state of disbelief.
The loss wasn’t just about one pitch or one inning. It was emblematic of a week where the Dodgers haven’t looked like themselves. Their offense, normally one of the most feared in the league, has gone cold at the worst time. Over the last six games, Los Angeles has scored just 12 runs combined, often squandering quality pitching performances like Glasnow’s in Milwaukee.
Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, the engines of the Dodgers’ lineup, have been stuck in neutral during this slide. Betts went 0-for-4 on the night and is now hitting under .200 over his last 10 games. Freeman had a double but struck out in a key eighth-inning at-bat with a chance to add insurance runs. J.D. Martinez, recently reactivated from the injured list, hit a solo home run in the fourth—his first since returning—but the Dodgers failed to capitalize on other scoring opportunities.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was clearly frustrated in his postgame comments, but he struck a measured tone.
“We’re not executing late in games,” Roberts said. “Tyler gave us a great effort tonight. Our guys are grinding, but right now, we’re just not finding ways to win. That ninth inning can’t happen if we want to be where we expect to be.”
Roberts also defended his decision to stick with Phillips, who has been his most trusted bullpen arm since taking over closing duties last year. “Evan’s been nails for us,” Roberts said. “He’s not going to be perfect, and tonight, they got to him. It happens.”
But it’s happening too often now for a Dodgers team built to contend. With the trade deadline just weeks away, speculation is already swirling that Los Angeles may look to bolster its bullpen depth, particularly from the left side. While Brusdar Graterol and Daniel Hudson are expected back from injury soon, the current group hasn’t held enough late leads to justify standing pat.
The Brewers, meanwhile, continue to defy preseason expectations. Led by a mix of young talent and steady veterans, Milwaukee sits comfortably near the top of the NL Central and has won seven of their last ten. Their ability to scratch out wins, especially in close games, has become a defining trait. Starter Freddy Peralta held the Dodgers to two runs over six innings and kept the game within striking distance for the bullpen to take over.
The ninth-inning magic on Tuesday night wasn’t a one-off for the Brewers. They’ve made a habit of finding ways to win close games, and their confidence only grows each time they do it.
“We believe we’re never out of a game,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy. “The guys just battled. That’s what we ask them to do every night. We know the Dodgers are a great team, but we matched them and took advantage of our shot.”
For the Dodgers, the path forward doesn’t get any easier. The team finishes the series in Milwaukee before heading home to face a surging Arizona Diamondbacks club. The schedule, once favorable, is suddenly a gauntlet. And with each loss, the pressure mounts—not just on the players, but also on the front office.
Los Angeles currently sits second in the NL West but has seen its lead over the rest of the Wild Card pack shrink. With the Giants, Padres, and Reds all within striking distance, a prolonged losing streak like this could have postseason implications the Dodgers never imagined when the season began.
Veteran leadership will be crucial in the days ahead. Players like Freeman, Betts, and Clayton Kershaw—who is still on the IL but traveling with the team—will be expected to keep the clubhouse steady amid rising anxiety. Roberts has repeatedly emphasized that the team’s goals haven’t changed, but urgency is no longer optional. This is now about weathering a storm that could either galvanize the group or crack its foundation.
“There’s still a lot of baseball to play,” Freeman told reporters after the game. “We’ve been through tough stretches before. Nobody’s panicking, but we need to start executing. Simple as that.”
One silver lining in the midst of the chaos is the continued development of younger players like Andy Pages and James Outman. Pages had two hits on the night and continues to show promise as a long-term outfield option. Outman, after an early-season demotion, has begun finding more consistency at the plate. Both could play larger roles as the Dodgers search for answers and reinforcements from within.
Still, moral victories and silver linings don’t change the standings. The Dodgers have now lost six straight, and each defeat seems to magnify the flaws they’ve long been able to mask. Whether it’s bullpen inconsistency, offensive slumps, or mental errors late in games, the margin for error is gone.
The good news? The talent is still there. The Dodgers are too experienced and too deep to fade away entirely. But the clock is ticking. If they can’t stop the bleeding soon, the hill they’ll have to climb in the second half of the season will only grow steeper.
For now, they leave Milwaukee with another bitter taste and one more blown lead. The losing streak continues, the questions grow louder, and the Dodgers—once again—are left wondering how a game that looked like a win slipped right through their fingers.
