Dodgers take a step down

Around the corner from a quiet locker room that was being quickly vacated, Dodgers Manager Grady Little was in his office making concessions.

He said the Dodgers were looking to get into the postseason “regardless of the route,” which basically was a concession that the National League West title was out of their reach. And, perhaps more important, he conceded that the Dodgers had no options to replace struggling Esteban Loaiza as their fifth starter.

Loaiza gave up one hit but pitched only 4 2/3 innings into the Dodgers’ 6-1 loss to the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, the result of a career-high seven walks.

By losing control of his pitches, Loaiza cost the Dodgers’ further control of their destiny, as they dropped 2 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres in the NL wild-card race, in which they were passed by the Philadelphia Phillies for second place.

A victory would’ve trimmed the Dodgers’ deficit to the Diamondbacks to 2 1/2 games, but the Dodgers now trail Arizona by 4 1/2 games with 13 to play.

“That’s tough ground to make up, even if we’re playing this team three more times in Arizona,” Little said, referring to a series that starts Friday. “Our No. 1 focus is getting into postseason play, regardless of what route.”

About Loaiza (1-2), he sounded equally pessimistic. Asked if he still had enough confidence in the 35-year-old waiver acquisition to send him to the mound every five days, Little paused. “We’ll see,” he said.

Sunday’s loss ended a four-game winning streak that allowed the Dodgers to win their series against the Padres and Diamondbacks. But the Dodgers needed more than that.

“We definitely have to do something over the next couple of weeks,” said reliever Rudy Seanez, who gave up a run in the sixth inning.

The Dodgers are off today, then play a doubleheader in Colorado on Tuesday to start a four-game series. Loaiza is scheduled to pitch next in the series opener in Arizona.

Sunday’s start was only his fifth of the season and third for the Dodgers. He spent most of the year on Oakland’s disabled list because of a bulging disk in his neck and knee surgery, and acknowledged recently thinking about how some players and coaches told him this portion of the season was like spring training for him.

Loaiza was also wild in his previous start, walking four batters in 3 1/3 innings of a loss to San Diego on Tuesday.

“Everything is fine,” Loaiza said. “My knee feels fine, my shoulder feels fine, everything feels fine.”

But his location wasn’t.

He started the second inning by walking Mark Reynolds and Stephen Drew, setting the stage for a three-run home run by Chris Snyder.

Loaiza’s outing came to an end when he issued two-out walks to Conor Jackson and Mark Reynolds. Reliever Eric Hull walked Drew to load the bases, but he escaped the jam by forcing Chris Young to pop up to third.

“Today, my ball was moving a lot, especially on the outside with my four-seamer,” Loaiza said.

Edgar Gonzalez (8-2), the other half of the all-Mexican pitching matchup on Mexican Independence Day, held the Dodgers to one run and six hits over five innings. Chad Tracy pinch-hit for Gonzalez in the sixth inning and his single to right field drove in Snyder to increase the Diamondbacks’ lead to 4-1.

The Diamondbacks added two runs in the ninth inning on Drew’s single against Jonathan Broxton with the bases loaded.

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