Going into Tuesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants, the Los Angeles Dodgers were on a three-game losing streak, largely due to a brutal offensive slump. 

However, manager Dave Roberts was not giving in to any sort of doom and gloom. In fact, he believed that momentum was being set up for his team.

"It does," Roberts told the media. "It does. But, you know, I'm kind of leaning towards the optimistic camp anyway. So I feel good about today. You know, I felt good about yesterday, and we talked about that a little bit as far as kind of taking advantage of opportunities.

“So, yeah, I think that, you know, we should be able to build some innings,” Roberts added. “And hopefully we can just take those at bats that we need to in big spots.”

However, the momentum did not come to fruition. The Dodgers fell to the Giants, 6-2 for their fourth-straight loss. That was despite a strong start in the first inning in which they loaded the bases after Shohei Ohtani broke his slump with a single, followed by a Freddie Freeman single and Kyle Tucker being hit by a pitch.

It looked as if Will Smith would drive multiple runners across home plate in the first when he shot a ball to right field. But Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee made an over-the-shoulder catch that limited Smith to getting just one run across on a sacrifice fly RBI. 

“In the first inning, I thought it was really promising,” Roberts said. “I thought Will had a great at bat. Lee makes a great play over his shoulder, which really could have been the difference in the game. And instead of giving up three runs and still one out, it's two outs and then giving up one run. 

“So, that was a really game-changing play,” Roberts added. “I think that, I think in total, when you don't get a whole lot of opportunities and you don't cash in on the couple that you do get, you don't score a lot of runs.”

Roberts pointed to another opportunity for the Dodgers in the eighth inning when they loaded the bases once again with one out. But a Max Muncy strikeout and an Andy Pages lineout to left field crushed momentum once again.

“And so today, I think in that first inning and then in the eighth inning,” Roberts said. “I think it was, where Max strikes out on a borderline pitch, then they get out of that inning. And so, we haven't given ourselves as many opportunities as we're used to.”

Roberts also credited Ohtani, who not only broke his hitting slump with the first-inning single, but hit his first home run in the month of May in the bottom of the third inning. However, it will not change Roberts' mind about giving Ohtani a break from the plate.

“Shohei's not gonna hit tomorrow,” Roberts said. “I really felt that taking a sinker the other way for a homer was great. Hit the ball in the screws a couple of times. So, three times. So, I thought tonight was a really good night.”

Ohtani is scheduled to be the starting pitcher to face the Giants for the third game in the four-game set on Wednesday, which is prompting his break from the batter’s box on Wednesday and in Thursday's series finale.

“And so now to go out there, focus on pitching tomorrow, get that recovery on Thursday,” Roberts said. “I think that he can hopefully take that momentum from tonight and then be building on that through Anaheim and San Diego.”

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