Shohei Ohtani has emerged as a rare bright spot for the Los Angeles Dodgers during a difficult stretch, hitting home runs in four consecutive games, the longest such streak of his career. Despite this, the Dodgers continue to struggle, recently dropping 11 of their last 14 games as they prepare to face the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium.

Dodgers’ Slide Persists Despite Power Display

Although Ohtani’s homer streak marks a personal best, it has not translated into wins, with the Dodgers losing three of those four contests. Ohtani’s 36 home runs remain tied for the National League lead with Eugenio Suárez of the Diamondbacks, who has surged with five homers in just four days. This competition underscores the Dodgers’ larger troubles as they falter in other areas.

Historical Context of Dodgers’ Home Run Streaks

The current Dodgers squad has matched a franchise record by hitting home runs in five consecutive games, a feat previously achieved by Roy Campanella in 1950, Shawn Green in 2001, Matt Kemp in 2010, Joc Pederson in 2015, and Max Muncy in 2019. When viewed across seasons, Adrián González also reached a five-game homer run streak spanning two years from 2014 to 2015.

Pitching and Defense Drop Dodgers Despite High-Scoring Games

The Dodgers’ recent losses highlight issues beyond hitting, particularly with pitching and defense faltering at crucial moments. In two games where the team scored seven runs, they still fell short, losing 8-7 and 10-7. This contrasts sharply with their strong performance earlier in the season, when the Dodgers held a .900 winning percentage in games with seven or more runs scored through June.

Team Performance in High-Scoring Games Deteriorates in July

July has been especially difficult for the Dodgers, as they have scored seven or more runs only three times during their 17 games this month, losing all three. By comparison, Major League Baseball teams generally win more than 77 percent of games when scoring exactly seven runs, but the Dodgers have slipped to a 6-4 record in such situations following this series of defeats.

Upcoming Opportunity at Dodger Stadium Against Twins

With one game left in the homestand, the Dodgers will try to break their losing streak against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The game will start at 1:10 p.m. and be broadcast on SportsNet LA and <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/baseball/mlb/”>MLB Network for out-of-market viewers, with radio coverage available on AM 570 in English and KTNQ 1020 AM in Spanish.