Looking to Break a Rut

Cornered for the first time this season, the Dodgers will learn a lot about their character over the next 10 days as they embark on a nine-game, three-city trip beginning today against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

The Dodgers fell into a funk at the end of their recent homestand, losing a season-high four consecutive games and failing to produce on the mound and at the plate. Their starting pitchers have lasted 1 1/3 innings, four innings, eight innings and five innings during the losing streak, and their hitters batted .138 with runners in scoring position.

“We didn’t hit, we didn’t pitch, we didn’t do a lot of things,” said first baseman Shawn Green, who hit .143 during the four losses. “It’s hard to win when you don’t play the game right.”

Adrian Beltre and Paul Lo Duca, who have each taken a turn leading the National League in batting, cooled off over the last several games. Beltre is in a three-for-21 slide (.143) and Lo Duca has one hit in his last 12 at-bats (.083).

“We’re just not getting any hits right now and not swinging the bats good,” Lo Duca said. “It’s just one of those things you go through.”

Asked what the Dodgers could do to correct an offense that has gone one for 17 with runners in scoring position over its last two games, Manager Jim Tracy said, “Send them back up to the plate with men on and let them keep trying.”

Tracy said the Dodgers, who lead the second-place San Diego Padres by two games in the NL West, must rebound quickly to avoid an extended slowdown.

“During the course of a season, you’re challenged,” Tracy said Sunday after the Cincinnati Reds had defeated the Dodgers, 6-3, to complete a three-game sweep “But I think the important thing about all of it is, how quickly do you bounce back? That’s where our club will be tested when we begin play early next week.”

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The losing is beginning to take an emotional toll on leadoff hitter Dave Roberts, who has been out of the lineup since straining his right hamstring May 4 while trying to steal a base.

“Obviously, you want to be out there every single day, but when you’re winning, it makes it a lot easier to take,” Roberts said. “When you go on a little losing streak, it gets a little more frustrating.”

Roberts had been an offensive catalyst before his injury, stealing 15 bases. Similarly, right fielder Juan Encarnacion had played solid defense before a sore left shoulder kept him out of the lineup the last three days.

“They’re great players and we’re missing them. But some other guys have to step up, myself included,” said catcher David Ross, who hit a solo homer Sunday to provide a rare bright spot. “Hopefully, Juan will be back [today] and D.R. Thursday. We’ll be right there.”