In the desert, the line between life and death is sharp and quick.
As record heat temperatures hit the Southland, the desert was not kind to the Los Angeles Dodgers as they got burned by the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks this week, capped off by an 8-1 blowout loss on Thursday afternoon at Chase Field.
The Snakes swept the Dodgers for the first time this season, winning all three games, and scoring six runs or more in each contest.
For the third consecutive game, the Dodgers fell behind the eight ball in the first inning.
The Diamondbacks scored two runs in the first inning, giving them a total of 10 first inning runs in the series compared to zero first inning runs for the Dodgers.
"The starting pitching wasn't there," Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts said of the series. "When you start behind the eight ball it's tough to try and come back. You're only as good as your starting pitching and three days we didn't have it."
Dodger killer, Paul Goldschmidt did most of the damage with a two-run double in the first to give Arizona an early 2-0 lead.
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Chris Iannetta hit a two-run home run in the second inning to stake a 5-1 lead for the Snakes.
Chris Iannetta hits a 2-run home run for his 13th home run of the season!!! #OurSeason pic.twitter.com/uX24Q635at— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB_) August 31, 2017
Iannetta is also a thorn in the side of the Dodgers as four of the catcher's 13 home runs this season (31 percent) have come against the division rival Dodgers.
The Snakes weren't finished as A.J. Pollock added insult to injury with a two-run home run in the top of the third to put Arizona up 7-1.
A.J. Pollock hits a 2-run home run for his 9th home run of the season!!! #OurSeason pic.twitter.com/WNjvkIDBIB— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB_) August 31, 2017
Starting pitching was a glaring problem for Los Angeles in the series as Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda combined to allow 19 runs on 24 hits with six home runs, and seven doubles in just 10 and 2/3 innings.
"All three guys have been good for quite some time," Roberts told reporters of the starting pitching. "They all coincided with one another and we got behind early by a big margin. We just have to turn the page."
Entering the game, Maeda had been one of the best pitchers in the National League since the All-Star Break with a 2.52 ERA and 0.86 WHIP.
Needless to say, Maeda was not in his post All-Star Game form on Thursday as he allowed seven runs on eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts in just three innings of work.
"I threw a lot of mislocated pitches and they took advantage of all of them," Maeda told the media through a translator following the loss. "I was trying to stop the losing streak, but unfortunately it didn't work out that way."
Maeda (12-6) has struggled over the course of his career against the Diamondbacks, posting a record of 3-3 with a 5.21 ERA in 10 career starts.
The lone Dodgers run came on an RBI double by Adrian Gonzalez in the second inning that scored Yasmani Grandal as old friend Zack Greinke shut down his former team.
Greinke (16-6) avenged his first loss at home against the Dodgers on Aug. 9 by holding his old team in check, allowing just one run on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts in six strong innings.
The Dodgers are currently stuck in a season-high five-game losing streak and have lost two consecutive series for only the second time this season.
L.A. dropped the first two series to start the season against the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs April 7-13.
Additionally, the Dodgers have dropped back-to-back day games for the first time this season, but still hold the best record in baseball during day games at 26-11.
The series with the Snakes is also a potential National League Division Series preview as both teams would play each other based on current standings provided Arizona wins their one-game wild card matchup.
If this is indeed the NLDS matchup, it should be a doozy as the Dodgers and Diamondbacks are even at eight wins a piece with three left to play in the season series.
Up Next:
Streak stopper, Clayton Kershaw looks to stop the bleeding as he returns from the disabled list on Friday against the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers will square off against RHP Dinelson Lanet as the team will play a grueling five games in 72 hours.
