CHICAGO -- The Dodgers never held much of a comfortable lead, but they led all the same through the top of the sixth inning on Sunday afternoon. Then the wheels fell off.
Emmet Sheehan, who had cruised the first two times through the White Sox order, was knocked out of the game after surrendering a home run, a single and an RBI double in quick succession. Jack Dreyer relieved him but could not halt Chicago's momentum, serving up a pair of two-run homers.
The White Sox had turned the game on its head, scoring six runs in the sixth inning before recording an out. The Dodgers tacked on a run apiece in each of the last three innings, but it proved too much to overcome as they lost the game, 6-4, and the weekend series at Rate Field.
The Dodgers' pitching staff has been arguably the team's most consistent strength this season. They've allowed 245 runs, the fewest in the Majors. But in the past week, they've been on the wrong side of quite a few big innings.
In the Dodgers' past seven games, opposing teams have scored five or more runs in an inning four times. The Angels had a six-run seventh inning on June 7 at Dodger Stadium. The Pirates built a five-run eighth inning on Wednesday at PNC Park. And the White Sox did it twice over the weekend, scoring seven runs in the fifth on Friday before their six-run outburst on Sunday.
At the same time, the Dodgers' offense has not been consistent with situational hitting. L.A. ranks second in the Majors with 386 runs scored, but there have been times when the team is unable to capitalize on the opportunities it's creating. On Sunday, the Dodgers went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base, including runners on the corners to end the game.