The analogy doesn’t quite work, but the above was the best I could come up with for the latest result. Los Angeles got a rare first-inning lead on Andre Ethier’s two-run homer, but gave it up for good on a three-run homer by Houston third baseman Chris Johnson in the sixth inning. The Dodgers lost their sixth straight game and fell to 69-72.

Only four Dodger teams have finished below .500 since 1988. According to my research on Baseball-Reference.com, no Dodger team has ever entered September with a winning record and finished the season with a losing record.