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Dodgers suffer fourth straight loss, Phillies’ Bryce Harper homers again

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LOS ANGELES ― The dog days of summer are, by definition, five weeks away. Consider Saturday’s “Pups at the Park” promotion on a hot night at Dodger Stadium a sneak preview, then.

If the baseballs continue to fly as they have since the Dodgers returned home from the East Coast, the low-scoring run environment of the season’s early weeks will soon be in the past. The Dodgers’ grip on first place might follow.

Julio Urías became the Dodgers’ latest pitcher to have no answer for Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies. Harper hit one of five home runs ― four by Philadelphia ― in the Dodgers’ 8-3 loss before an announced crowd of 50,279.

The Dodgers (20-12) have lost four straight games for the first time since June of last year. Unlike the first three defeats, there was no late-inning comeback in store Saturday. Cody Bellinger drove in a pair of runs with a double in the fourth inning and the Dodgers did not collect another hit.

“They had those homers, the big momentum swings, and we didn’t,” Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner said. “That seemed to be the difference. We just didn’t seem to get that homer or that big hit.”

Mookie Betts hit a home run in the first inning against Phillies starter Ranger Suarez (4-1), who allowed five hits and three runs in seven innings. The left-hander issued one walk and struck out six.

Like Tyler Anderson and Walker Buehler before him in the series, Urías struggled to keep Harper off base. The Dodgers’ longtime nemesis went 3 for 4 (a double, a homer, a bunt single) and three RBIs.

Jean Segura, Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins also hit home runs against Urías. The left-hander had never allowed four homers, six extra-base hits, or eight runs in a game. The Phillies had all of these after four innings.

“They had a plan of attack and seemed to take advantage of all those mistakes,” Urías said.

In the first inning, Harper poked a well-located curveball off the end of his bat into shallow left field. Because the Dodgers were shifted the opposite way, Harper was able to leg out a double.

The next batter, Nick Castellanos, hit a grounder down the third-base line. Justin Turner gloved the ball but threw a one-hopper to first base that Freddie Freeman could not scoop out of the dirt. Castellanos was safe on the error, so the inning continued for Segura.

Segura did not make hard contact with Urías’ 1-and-1 curveball, but his fly ball found the shallowest nook of Dodger Stadium: the left field corner. At 91.0 mph per Statcast, it was the second-softest home run hit this season. Because of Turner’s error, all three runs were unearned.

The third inning was not as kind to Urías’ ERA. Rhys Hoskins singled. Alec Bohm doubled. Harper cleared the bases with his ninth home run of the season, a 420-foot parabola. Philadelphia led 6-1.

“I think they’re just on a good run,” Urías said. “You can tell offensively what they’re doing. Tonight, the last few nights, they just kept adding on.”

Home runs by Schwarber and Hoskins in the fourth inning extended the lead to 8-1. Urías was never in danger of being removed. No relief pitcher began warming up until Reyes Moronta in the sixth.

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Therein lies the Dodgers’ vicious cycle of frustration in the series. Each of their starting pitchers has been uncharacteristically bad. Tyler Anderson allowed seven runs on Thursday. Walker Buehler allowed five on Friday. Urías allowed eight.

But the bullpen has been no sure bet, either. Daniel Hudson suffered his second loss in as many days Thursday. Brusdar Graterol allowed three runs in the 10th inning Friday.

With 22 games to play over the next 22 days, and their five-man rotation reduced to four in light of Clayton Kershaw’s latest injury, Manager Dave Roberts has been forced to extend his starters with little regard to the scoreboard or the standings. The Dodgers and Padres are in a virtual tie for first in the NL West.

Against Harper and the Phillies, that’s a difficult place to be. The reigning National League MVP is the first visiting player at Dodger Stadium ever to collect a homer and at least two extra-base hits in three consecutive games. Harper is scheduled to have a day off Sunday, when right-hander Michael Grove will make his major league debut for the Dodgers.

“It feels like (Harper) is the best player” when he’s on a roll, Turner said of his former teammate. “It’s kind of crazy. The numbers he can put up offensively are special. He’s one of a kind. That’s why he won the MVP last year. That’s why he’s doing what he’s doing now.”

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