The Los Angeles Dodgers' high-profile offseason signings, Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz, have been major disappointments this season, and their struggles were on full display in a three-game losing streak to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts benched Tucker for Saturday's game, citing poor home-road splits and the slugger's "frustrations playing at home." Tucker finished the club's seven-game homestand without a hit.
The Dodgers' offense, which has been a strength all season, was held to just 5 runs in the 3-game series. Meanwhile, the Brewers' offense, led by Jake Bauers, who went 4-for-4 with a double and two RBI on Sunday, was electric.
Bauers' breakout season has been legitimized by underlying metrics, and he now has a season OPS of .883, the seventh-highest mark in the National League.
The Brewers' improved offense, which also features a healthy Brice Turang and a potentially resurgent William Contreras, should be a concern for the Dodgers heading into the postseason.
The Dodgers' struggles against the Brewers, who hold the end-of-season tiebreaker for postseason homefield advantage, were a stark contrast to last year's NLCS, where the Dodgers dominated the Brewers.
Brewers' pitcher Jacob Misiorowski had a Cy Young moment on Saturday, escaping a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout of Shohei Ohtani and a clean sixth inning to complete his afternoon.
Misiorowski's highwire escape act in the fifth inning against two of the game's best might have earned him some hardware, and his ERA now sits at a sparkling 1.75.
However, it's worth noting that the Brewers didn't have this version of Misiorowski last October, and the team will likely restrict his workload in the postseason to ensure he's fresh for the playoffs.
Díaz, who has looked like a shell of his old self since returning from elbow surgeries, was able to pick up the save on Friday, but he did load the bases on a HBP and two walks.
Whether Díaz can keep his manager's trust and the closer job remains to be seen, and the Dodgers will need to find a solution to their closer woes heading into the postseason.
The Dodgers will look to regroup and bounce back from their struggles against the Brewers, but for now, their high-profile signings have been major disappointments.
Source: Yahoo Sports