Dodgers' Freeman after 4th straight loss: 'Truly have no answers'

The Los Angeles Dodgers were left puzzled after yet another disappointing loss Friday.

The defending World Series champions fell to the Baltimore Orioles, who sit in fifth place in the AL East, 2-1 at Camden Yards. Orioles rookie Samuel Basallo hit a home run off Tanner Scott in the bottom of the ninth to secure the walk-off victory.

The struggling Dodgers have lost four in a row and six of their last seven games.

"Sometimes, you just don't have the right answers," Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman told reporters postgame, according to the Los Angeles Times' Jack Harris. "Not going to sit here and give some cliches. We're just not playing very good. ... There's no sugarcoating this. We need to figure this out, and figure this out quick."

Shohei Ohtani, who stepped in on five hours' notice as the Dodgers' starting pitcher after Tyler Glasnow was scratched with back tightness, performed well on the mound, tossing 3⅔ scoreless innings with five strikeouts and three hits allowed. However, Los Angeles struggled to generate offense throughout the game, with Orioles starter Dean Kremer and six relievers holding them to just five hits.

"Not scoring runs, it's just not who we are," Freeman said. "We're not getting anything going. We're not getting the hits."

"We haven't for a while," he added. "I truly have no answers."

Scott accepted responsibility for the loss after giving up his 10th home run of the season. The closer has a 4.52 ERA and has allowed 10 earned runs in his last nine innings pitched dating back to July 6.

"I just keep making terrible pitch selections right when it matters, and it's costing us every time," Scott said. "It sucks. It feels terrible. And I have to figure it out. Because baseball hates me right now."

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts seems aware that something needs to change.

"I know each day the guys come in fresh, prepared, and expecting a different result," Roberts said. "But we're just not getting it done."

Ohtani, meanwhile, thinks he knows why the team is struggling.

"We individually are trying to find ways on our own to ... (be) hitting better than we are," Ohtani said through an interpreter. "But I think the side effect of that is, we're a little too eager and putting too much pressure on ourselves. That's really hurting us more than it's helping."

The Dodgers remain in first place in the NL West and hold a 78-63 record this season. They play the Orioles again Saturday evening.