The Dodgers were building momentum one no-out single at a time, an offensive cascade threatening to break through — until it didn’t.
Until a bases-loaded opportunity resulted in just a pair of runs. And the Dodgers’ struggling offense fell quiet again.
Their 9-3 loss to the Giants on Monday was more of the same for an offense that hasn’t scored more than three runs in a game this homestand, four games in.
Shortstop Mookie Betts returned from injury, but he didn’t magically fix the Dodgers’ problems.
They hadn’t expected him to, either.
“I know I’m not the hero,” Betts said before the game. “It’s going to take us all. It kind of is what it is. We’re going to go through our ups and downs. It’s important for everyone to know it’s going to take all of us and not just one guy getting through their struggles or whatever it is.”
When the Dodgers activated Betts on Monday, they optioned second baseman Alex Freeland to triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.
It wasn’t quite clear what to expect from Betts, who had a single in five at-bats and prevented a run by throwing out a runner at home.
His oblique muscle strain lingered longer than initially anticipated. And once Betts felt comfortable swinging a bat without risking aggravation, his hitting ramp-up was swift. The Dodgers plan to ease him back by playing him in two games and giving him one off for the first week or so.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts points to third baseman Max Muncy after throwing out a runner at home plate in the sixth inning. Betts made his return from injury Monday.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
“It’s part of it,” manager Dave Roberts said over the weekend about the Dodgers missing Betts’ bat at the top of the order. “It’s certainly not all of it. I think that we certainly have enough talent to be better than we have. But adding Mookie’s at-bat quality, I think will certainly help. We just haven’t been as consistent as a group as we should be even without Mookie.”
It’s not for lack of trying. A still-slumping Shohei Ohtani, for example, took batting practice on the field before the game — traditionally a rare measure for the four-time MVP. Monday marked the third time he’s taken on-field batting practice already this season.
That didn’t work its magic either. He grounded out to the right side of the infield three times and struck out twice.
Third baseman Max Muncy, the Dodgers’ best hitter for the past month, again had the big swing. His solo homer in the sixth tied the game after Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki allowed three runs in five-plus innings.
The Dodgers failed, however, to put together any big rallies.
Dodgers pitcher Wyatt Mills walks back to the mound after hitting San Francsco’s Jung Hoo Lee with a pitch in the ninth inning Monday.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
Their best chance came in the fourth inning. Up to that point, the Dodgers had only reached scoring position once against Giants starting pitcher Trevor McDonald.
The fourth-inning rally fell flat, however, as the Dodgers’ struggles with the bases loaded continued. They entered Monday hitting just .200 with the bases loaded, the third-worst mark in the majors, above only the Blue Jays and Marlins.
Freddie Freeman, Kyle Tucker and Will Smith hit consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs. Then, Muncy shot a sharp grounder through the right side of the field to drive in the Dodgers’ first run, tying the game at one apiece.
Andy Pages then grounded into a double play, but another run scored.
With two outs, Teoscar Hernández — who went two-for-three from the No. 8 spot Monday — drew a walk to extend the inning. And Hyeseong Kim struck out to end it.
The Giants created a similar opportunity for themselves in the seventh inning, and the three runs they scored were the difference in the game.
The Giants loaded the bases with three straight one-out singles off Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia, who then walked the go-ahead run.
Right-hander Will Klein replaced Vesia and struck out the first batter he faced. But Willy Adames tagged Klein for a two-run single on a line drive into shallow right field.
The Giants loaded the bases again in the ninth, drawing four straight walks (one of which was intentional) against Dodgers reliever Wyatt Mills, making his second major-league appearance of the season.
They racked up three more runs, on a single from Adames, another walk and a ground out.
