Los Angeles Dodgers Limp Into Crucial Milwaukee Brewers Series on Five-Game Skid as Urgency Rises Amid Slipping Division Lead
The Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t just heading into a regular midseason matchup—they’re entering what could be a turning point in their 2025 campaign. After losing five straight games, the Dodgers now face the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers in a critical series that could define how the next few weeks unfold. For a team that came into the season with towering expectations, World Series aspirations, and the sport’s biggest star in Shohei Ohtani, this slump is a harsh dose of reality. Momentum has vanished, cracks are showing, and pressure is beginning to mount from every angle.
The five-game losing streak couldn’t have come at a worse time. It began with back-to-back losses against division rivals, the Arizona Diamondbacks, followed by a disappointing sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers’ offense has gone cold, their pitching has regressed, and the aura of invincibility that once surrounded the club is gone—at least for now. Walk-off losses, defensive misplays, stranded baserunners, and inconsistent pitching performances have become themes of this rough stretch.
The Dodgers now arrive in Milwaukee looking not only for a win but for answers. Manager Dave Roberts has been forced to shuffle the lineup, re-evaluate the rotation, and dig deep into a bullpen that’s been overused and underwhelming. The team that once sat comfortably atop the NL West now finds its lead shrinking by the day, with the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks gaining ground and confidence. And as if the timing wasn’t bad enough, the Brewers have won six of their last seven and are one of the most fundamentally sound teams in the National League.
At the heart of the Dodgers’ issues during the losing streak has been the offense—or lack thereof. Shohei Ohtani, still putting up MVP-caliber numbers, has seen his impact dulled by a lack of support. Mookie Betts has cooled off dramatically, Freddie Freeman’s bat has gone silent, and the bottom half of the order has become a black hole. In the last five games, the Dodgers have scored just nine runs total, a far cry from their usual explosive production. Too many runners left in scoring position, too many first-pitch swings leading to weak contact, and not enough situational hitting have led to mounting frustration.
Ohtani has continued to do his part, going 7-for-20 over the last five games with two home runs and four RBIs. But even he can only carry the team so far. With injuries mounting—most notably to catcher Will Smith and outfielder Jason Heyward—the Dodgers’ depth is being tested. Bench players have been thrust into everyday roles, and the lack of production from players like Chris Taylor and Miguel Vargas has hurt the team’s ability to generate consistent offense.
Defensively, the team has looked sloppy and uninspired. Routine plays have turned into extended innings. Gavin Lux and Max Muncy have both committed costly errors during this skid, and even Betts—normally rock-solid—misplayed a ball in right field that led to a crucial run in San Diego. The Dodgers have always prided themselves on clean, efficient baseball, but right now, they look like a team out of rhythm in every facet of the game.
Pitching, once considered the strength of the club, has also faltered. Tyler Glasnow and Walker Buehler have both had shaky starts during the losing streak, failing to go deep into games and putting early pressure on a bullpen that has already thrown more innings than expected at this point in the season. The team’s reliance on young arms like Gavin Stone and Bobby Miller has backfired during this stretch, with both pitchers showing signs of fatigue and inexperience.
Glasnow, the team’s ace, was shelled for six earned runs in just four innings during his last outing, while Buehler gave up back-to-back home runs in a loss to the Padres. Even veteran James Paxton, one of the more consistent arms through June, was knocked around by the Diamondbacks, surrendering four runs in five innings.
The bullpen, a major concern all season, has not provided any relief—literally. Evan Phillips, once dominant, has blown two saves in the last week. Daniel Hudson and Ryan Brasier have struggled with command, and the Dodgers’ once-formidable late-inning plan has looked unorganized and ineffective. Opposing hitters are no longer chasing sliders out of the zone or biting on elevated fastballs. Instead, they’re making hard contact and capitalizing on every mistake.
Milwaukee, meanwhile, is trending in the opposite direction. The Brewers boast one of the best pitching staffs in the league, with Freddy Peralta and Wade Miley leading a group that has shut down some of the league’s top offenses in recent weeks. Their bullpen, anchored by closer Devin Williams, has been nearly unhittable, converting 21 of 24 save opportunities and posting a sub-2.50 ERA in the last month.
Offensively, the Brewers don’t have the star power of the Dodgers, but they’re getting timely hitting from Christian Yelich, William Contreras, and Sal Frelick. Their lineup plays with discipline, contact ability, and just enough pop to make every at-bat dangerous. While the Dodgers have relied heavily on the long ball, Milwaukee manufactures runs through smart baserunning, consistent contact, and disciplined approaches—exactly the kind of baseball the Dodgers have failed to play during this skid.
This upcoming series is more than just three games in July—it’s a gut check for a team that expected to cruise through the regular season and waltz into October. A sixth straight loss could set off panic alarms in the front office, spark roster moves, or even prompt trade talks earlier than planned. Already, the whispers are beginning about whether the Dodgers will pursue another starting pitcher or an additional bat before the deadline. Names like Luis Robert Jr., Garrett Crochet, and Paul Blackburn have surfaced as potential fits.
But all of that is secondary to what happens on the field in Milwaukee. The Dodgers don’t need a trade or a headline; they need a win. They need a quality start, clean defense, and a lineup that doesn’t leave a small village on the basepaths. They need to remind themselves—and everyone else—why they were considered the most dangerous team in baseball coming into this season.
Dave Roberts has remained calm publicly but acknowledged that this is a defining stretch. “We’ve hit a rough patch, no doubt,” he said. “But the character of this group is strong. We’ve been here before. It’s time to respond.”
The Dodgers have been here before, yes. They’ve faced adversity and losing streaks in past seasons. But this time feels different, perhaps because of the sheer weight of expectation. When you have Ohtani, Betts, Freeman, and a payroll north of $300 million, slumps don’t just feel disappointing—they feel catastrophic.
For now, the Dodgers can only focus on the moment in front of them. Game one in Milwaukee isn’t just another Tuesday night game. It’s a litmus test. Can they respond under pressure? Can the stars show up? Can the pitching hold together long enough for the offense to find its rhythm? These are the questions that will be answered—not in headlines, press conferences, or speculation—but on the field, pitch by pitch, inning by inning.
And with the NL West tightening and confidence shaken, the time for answers is now.
