Slumping Dodgers see lead shrink

A few weeks ago, everybody was wondering if the Dodgers could break the major league record of 116 wins in a season.

Now they’re looking vulnerable with the playoffs approaching.

Los Angeles had lost six in a row and 11 of 12 — its worst skid of the season — going into Thursday night’s series opener against Colorado. Once again, the Dodgers turn to ace Clayton Kershaw to stem the tide. He ended their fivegame skid last week at San Diego in his first start off the disabled list.

The Dodgers remain baseball’s best team at 9247 and lead the NL West by 10 1/2 games over the streaking Arizona Diamondbacks, a seemingly comfortable margin with three weeks left in the regular season. But their lead was 21 games on Aug. 25, and as the Dodgers have stumbled, the D-backs have surged.

Arizona left Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night having won its franchiserecord 13th in a row, sweeping Los Angeles in two three-game series over the last week.

“You get hit in the mouth, you got to fight back,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “There’s a lot of fight left in our guys.”

There just hasn’t been much offense and the bullpen has been hit hard.

The Dodgers were outscored, 19-2, and had 30 strikeouts this week against the D-backs, who could potentially give them fits if they meet again in the playoffs.

“If we get them, we know we’re the better team,” catcher Yasmani Grandal said. “There’s no doubt they play hard, but so do we. I’m glad someone is trying to challenge us, especially in our own division.”