It’s been a rough week for Los Angeles, and “rough” is putting it lightly. The Dodgers just got swept for the second series in a row, dropping an afternoon loss to the Cubs on Wednesday. That means they’re on a six-game losing streak, the second-longest skid they’ve faced since 2019. Remember that seven-game slide in 2025? It didn’t stop them from winning the World Series that year, but man, this recent collapse has fans wondering if this club has the dominance needed for another title run.
Stuck on 69 Wins, While Everyone Else Is Zooming Past
The Dodgers were sitting pretty on 69 wins back on July 30, lined up to be the first team in MLB to hit 70. A whole week later, they’re still stuck there. Meanwhile, the Brewers already blew past that mark, and now the Atlanta Braves have not only caught up in total wins, they actually have a better record thanks to one fewer defeat. You gotta be kidding me! The Red Sox swept the Dodgers over the weekend, and then straight into Chicago where the Cubs finished the job. It’s only August, sure, but when you go from leading the league to playing catch-up this fast, it’s a gut check.
Even with Shohei Ohtani absolutely mashing his 11th leadoff home run of the season, and later his 26th dinger of the year in the eighth, it wasn’t enough. Max Muncy blasted a 413-foot three-run shot to cut the Cubs’ lead to three in the eighth, but the scoring just stopped after Ohtani’s follow-up. Pete Crow-Armstrong for the Cubs was a total nightmare, hitting a leadoff blast of his own, then a two-run shot later, plus an RBI double. He was responsible for four of Chicago’s first five runs. The Cubs went up 7-1 through the seventh, and Jacob Webb threw a clean ninth to seal the sweep.
Cubs and Braves Make Their Moves
This sweep is huge for Chicago. The Cubs are now 66-49, still 5.5 games back of Milwaukee in the NL Central. But here’s the kicker: they’re now 5.5 games ahead for the top wild-card spot in the NL and suddenly within three games of the Dodgers’ once-untouchable record. Talk about a momentum swing!
Over in the NL East, the Braves aren’t messing around either. Their 4-1 win over the Marlins on Wednesday marked their seventh straight victory. That win got them to the same number of wins as the reeling Dodgers. Austin Riley hit a ground-rule double to score Ozzie Albies, and then Drake Baldwin came through with a two-run single that scored Riley. That pushed their NL East lead to a commanding 8.5 games. First baseman Matt Olson also notched his 896th consecutive game played in that win. With the Dodgers faltering, the Braves are making a serious statement.
For the Dodgers, what’s next? They need to find a way to stop the bleeding. The league’s best record was theirs to lose, and right now, it looks like they might just be doing it. Can they regroup before this August slump turns into something worse? We’ll be watching to see if they still have that World Series-winning fire.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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