Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani reacts after striking out with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a 5-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Dodger Stadium on Sunday. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)
The Toronto Blue Jays did everything possible to hand the Dodgers a victory Sunday.
Their pitchers gave up 10 hits, including two home runs. They walked 13, a season-high for the Dodgers, twice loading the bases on free passes in the final two innings. At the plate, Toronto struck out 14 times.
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The Dodgers, however, refused to accept the gift, giving up an eighth-inning lead in a 5-4 loss that dropped their lead over the San Diego Padres in the National League West to two games. The Padres trailed by six games less than three weeks ago.
“This is frustrating because I just felt there’s no way we should lose this game today,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We had them on the ropes numerous times. And for us not to win is so frustrating.”
Read more: Blake Snell turns in a performance befitting his ‘Snellzilla’ nickname in Dodgers’ blowout win
How frustrating? The Dodgers were one for 10 with runners in scoring position. They left a season-high 16 men on base — six in the last two innings.
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Every Dodgers starter reached base at least once. Yet they still lost.
Afterward, third baseman Max Muncy insisted the black cloud had a silver lining, even if no one else could see it.
“We were creating opportunities. So, you know, we were doing the first part of it,” he said. “We just weren’t cashing in today. The positive you take out of it is we found a way to create a lot of opportunities.
“You just have to finish the job.”
That goes double for the Dodger relievers. Starter Tyler Glasnow was brilliant, striking out eight and allowing just two runs over 5⅔ innings, turning a 3-2 lead over to a bullpen that had to get 10 outs. Once again they couldn’t do it, with Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia giving up three solo home runs in the span of six batters.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers against the Blue Jays in the first inning Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Associated Press)
“You give good hitters pitches right down the middle, they’re going to do damage,” said Treinen, who came on in the eighth with a one-run lead and left five batters later trailing after back-to-back home runs by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger.
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“Sometimes we get away with making bad locations turn into outs. They made me pay for it and it…