Dodgers’ Historic Winning Streak Shakes Up MLB—Can Los Angeles Secure Another World Series Run?

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ late-summer stumble continued Monday night at Chavez Ravine, as shaky relief pitching and an off-field distraction surrounding superstar Shohei Ohtani combined to overshadow another big swing from the two-way icon. Bullpen woes flare again Manager Dave Roberts turned a 4-3 lead over to high-leverage right-hander Blake Treinen in the eighth, but the veteran surrendered two runs on three hits. Lefty Alex Vesia then yielded a go-ahead, two-run homer to Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the ninth, sealing a 7-5 loss and robbing L.A. of a potential sweep of the Blue Jays. The defeat dropped the Dodgers to 71-48, trimming their NL West cushion over the resurgent San Diego Padres to 3½ games. Post-deadline questions President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman resisted adding a proven closer at the July 31 trade deadline, a decision that is drawing sharper scrutiny each time the bullpen falters. The Dodgers own a 5.54 ERA after the seventh inning since August 1, 27th in MLB over that span. Injured arms Kirby Yates (back) and Tanner Scott (forearm) are expected to throw to hitters this week, but neither is guaranteed to return before September. Ohtani named in $240 million lawsuit Compounding the club’s on-field issues, a Hawaii real-estate investor filed a civil suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court accusing Ohtani and agent Nez Balelo of interfering with a $240 million beachfront development. The complaint alleges Ohtani’s camp pressured investors to remove the original broker, costing him a seven-figure commission. Neither Ohtani nor the Dodgers have commented publicly, but sources close to the organization say the matter has not affected his availability. Bright spots: Ohtani, Freeman stay hot Ohtani homered for the fourth time in five games, a 428-foot blast to right-center that briefly put the Dodgers ahead. The reigning AL MVP now has 41 homers, two behind Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. for the MLB lead. Freddie Freeman chipped in his 24th home run, while Mookie Betts extended his on-base streak to 22 games. What’s next The Dodgers open a three-game Freeway Series against the Angels on Tuesday. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-5, 3.08 ERA) faces left-hander Patrick Sandoval (8-7, 4.11). L.A. is 5-2 against Anaheim since Ohtani’s high-profile jump across I-5 last winter. Key takeaways for Dodger fans • Bullpen instability remains the club’s biggest October concern. • Legal drama surrounding Ohtani bears watching, though no playing-time impact is expected. • A soft August schedule (series vs. Angels, Rockies, Nationals) offers a chance to regain breathing room. Search-friendly keywords: Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen struggles, Shohei Ohtani lawsuit, Dodgers vs. Blue Jays recap, Dodgers trade-deadline analysis, Yoshinobu Yamamoto next start, NL West standings 2025.