LOS ANGELES – What a difference a couple of days make. On Monday, the Dodgers were feeling good about themselves, winning the game for the ages by edging the Blue Jays, 6-5, in 18 innings at Dodger Stadium to take a 2-1 lead in the 2025 World Series.

 Two days later, Los Angeles is on the brink of elimination after losing to Toronto, 6-1, at Chavez Ravine on Wednesday. It was the second straight loss for the Dodgers and the Blue Jays are one win away from winning their first World Series title since 1993.

 Something the Dodgers should take note of: The winner of the fifth game of the World Series has gone on to win the Fall Classic 68 times (68.9%), including 65 times (68.4%) under the best-of-seven format. Teams winning the next game when tied at 2-2 in the World Series have won 32 times overall (66.7%), and 31 times (67.4%) under the current best-of-seven format.

 Suddenly, the Dodgers can’t do anything right – offensively, defensively relief pitching. Take their offense: In their last two games, they are a combined 10-for-61 [.164]  with 22 strikeouts and 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. It hasn’t helped that Mookie Betts is 3-for-23 [.130] in five games and the Dodgers have faced bulldog starters in Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage, who allowed a combined two runs in 12 ⅓ innings. For Game 6, the Dodgers will face right-hander Kevin Gausman, who they beat, 5-1, in Game 2 at the Rogers Centre.

 “It doesn’t feel great,” Roberts said about the offense.

 “You clearly see [the Blue Jays] finding ways to get hits, move the baseball forward, and we’re not doing a good job of it. I thought Yesavage was good tonight mixing his fastball, slider, and the split. But, yeah, you still have to use the whole field and take what they give you, and if they’re not going to allow [power], then you’ve got to be able to … redirect and … take competitive at-bats. Whether it’s [Addison] Barger or [Bo] Bichette, you know, those guys from the [Blue Jays] are doing it.

But again, we have that ability. We’ve got to make some adjustments. We have seen Gausman a ton. … I just think we just got to come in fresh, and we’ve been in elimination games – a core group of these guys, and we got to find a way to win a game. That’s it.”

With the exception of Roki Sasaki, the bullpen can’t seem to hold the Blue Jays in check. Blake Treinen, who was a World Series hero against the Yankees last year, Edgardo Henriquez and Anthony Banda are having a tough time recording outs. That was the case after Blake Snell gave Los Angeles 6 ½ innings.

“Yeah, it’s hard because you can only push a starter so much,” Roberts said. “I thought Blake emptied the tank, and you have an opportunity with the base open, in this situation second base with Vlad [Guerrero] up, and I felt Enriquez was the guy to get him out. And you also have a chance to get Bichette out.

 “I pushed Blake as much as I pushed him all year and, yeah, you look at the three games that we lost, it spiraled on us with guys on base. But guys got to be better. They certainly had a good game in Game 3. But, yeah, I mean, … the guys have got to do their jobs. Everyone’s got to do their job.”

The defense has been shoddy at best. Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernández has always been below-average in the outfield and it was proven in the fourth inning. Dalton Varsho led off and tripled down the right field after Hernandez dove for the ball, which went past the latter all the way to the wall. Varsho ended up scoring on a sacrifice fly by Ernie Clement to give Toronto a 3-1 lead.

“You know, you look at giving up bases. It changes … the lineup as far as who comes up, and it affects the game going forward,” Roberts said.

“Things certainly get magnified in games like this, especially when you’re not swinging the bats [well].”

Can one expect Roberts to make lineup changes for Friday’s game? Roberts hasn’t thought about it yet. 

“It’s kind of whatever I feel is best to take down Gausman,” Roberts said. “So I’m not sure if it’s Mookie in the 2-hole, Mookie in the 3-hole, Freddie Freeman in the 3-hole. … But at the end of the day, regardless of who we run out there or what we construct, we still got to take good at-bats – all of us. And so that’s what I’m betting on.”