After an 8-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night - in which Michael Kopech became the first, and to this point only, new Dodger to make his team debut - the Dodgers suddenly find themselves in a compelling division race.
The Dodgers' two-game sweep at the hands of the red-hot Padres this week leaves them just 4 ½ games up in the standings entering August - the narrowest the Dodgers' division lead has been since May 4.
During July, the team ranked just 19th in the majors in total runs (and averaged 4.3 per game) and a lowly 27th in staff ERA (5.36). A leaky late-game bullpen and lack of consistent starting pitching were recurring problems.
The Dodgers are still the odds-on favorites to win the division, entering Wednesday with an 83% probability of finishing in first place, according to Fangraphs' computer models. But their margin for error is quickly evaporating - underscoring their need for alter.
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