Grandal homers, but Dodgers drop 6th straight

MIAMI -- The search for a winning formula continues. The Dodgers lost to the Marlins, 6-5, on Wednesday, as they dropped the first two games of the series at Marlins Park. The loss extended a season-high skid to six games for the Dodgers, who have lost nine of 10. They possess the same 16-26 record as the rebuilding Marlins.
The Dodgers are tied for last place with the Padres in the National League West. The last time they were in last place after 42 games was 2013, when they started 17-25. They were seven games back, but they went on to win the division by 11 games.
If there is one positive to take away in this game, it's that the Dodgers fought back to erase a 5-1 deficit with a four-run sixth inning, as the bats got starter Walker Buehler off the hook. Yasmani Grandal sparked the rally with an RBI single, plating Joc Pederson, who led off with a double.
It was the first of four consecutive hits off Marlins relievers Junichi Tazawa and Drew Steckenrider, who each gave up two. Cody Bellinger followed Grandal's hit with a double, before Chris Taylor delivered an RBI single and Max Muncy followed with a game-tying two-run double.

"For quite some time, we haven't been synced up," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "The silver lining is we put a couple of hits together, but the bottom line is we lost the ballgame."
Buehler took a no-decision after a subpar performance. The right-hander, who entered with a 1.64 ERA, worked five innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits. He struck out seven and walked two.
"I gave up too many runs for us to win the game," Buehler said. "I felt like I didn't throw the ball well. The fact that we tied it up is encouraging, and I think it's going to help us moving forward."

Justin Turner went 2-for-5 in his second game since coming off the disabled list, extending his on-base streak against the Marlins to 14 games.
"I thought the entire night, the way we played the game, intensity, running balls out, trying to create things, was a good step for us," Turner said. "Obviously, we didn't get the result, but if we can play like that and carry that intensity, and play that way as an offense, I think we're going to win a lot more games."
The Marlins quickly regained the lead, 6-5, for good on a solo home run by J.T. Realmuto with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning off reliever Pedro Báez (1-2).
"Pedro made a mistake to Realmuto. Had him 1-2, gave up the homer, and that's the difference in the game," Roberts said. "Pedro had three days off, he was rested. In that situation, I loved who he was matched up against. And it just unfortunately didn't work out for us."

Grandal got the Dodgers on the scoreboard in the fourth, cutting the Marlins' lead to 2-1, with a prodigious solo home run. He hit a 3-2 four-seam fastball, measured by Statcast™ at 90.5 mph, from Marlins starter Elieser Hernandez. Grandal's seventh home run of the season -- all against right-handed pitchers -- traveled 408 feet with an exit velocity of 107 mph and a 33-degree launch angle.
MOMENT THAT MATTERED
Marlins extend lead: With the Marlins holding a 2-1 lead in the fifth, Justin Bour hit a two-run homer to start a three-run inning that extended their lead to 5-1.
"That ball that Bour hit, I don't know if there's another human that can hit that ball out of the ballpark," Buehler said. "He's just a gigantic, really, really strong human."

SOUND SMART
According to Elias Sports, the Dodgers' 16-26 record ties the fastest a team has gone 10 games under .500 after winning 100-plus games the year before, equaling the 1986 Cardinals, who finished 79-82.
HE SAID IT
"I remember him coming around the clubhouse when I was playing with his dad. It's great to see the success that he's had. I remember watching him when he was in the Little League World Series. Time flies." -- Marlins chief executive officer Derek Jeter, on Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger
UP NEXT
One of the last things a team needs when struggling is to face a pitcher it's never seen before. But that's the Dodgers' dilemma when they close out a three-game series with the Marlins at 9:10 a.m. PT on Thursday. Left-hander Caleb Smith, whose start was pushed back a day, will make his first career start against the Dodgers, who send right-hander Kenta Maeda to the mound.