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The Dodgers have a massive problem. His name is Edwin Diaz. | Opinion

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The Dodgers have a massive problem. His name is Edwin Diaz. | Opinion

LOS ANGELES — The sound of trumpets are now the sound of alarm for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Oh, dear. Here comes closer Edwin Diaz again.

The pain and suffering continued Thursday night, Aug. 13 when he blew his third save since last week and the Dodgers lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 in the first game of a crucial, four-game series.

Diaz entered in the bottom of the ninth to the sound of the signature trumpets with the Dodgers leading 4-2 thanks to Max Muncy’s pinch hit, three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth.

But Diaz heard loud boos from the crowd when he neutralized Muncy’s heroics. He left the field with two outs, the score tied 4-4 and though his status as the Dodgers’ closer appears to still be secure, Diaz is undeniably feeling the heat from the fans.

Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia allowed the final run, but the Dodgers losing this night belonged to Diaz.

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Guess what? The Dodgers don’t have MLB’s highest payroll!

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(Brad Penner, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect)

Forget about the saves Diaz was supposed to be racking up for the Dodgers. Is there any saving Diaz from himself?

He’s complained that his sinker’s not sinking. But guess what is sinking? Diaz’s stock.

On Thursday, he did earn some credit – for the loss. He is now 2-2 this season but also a massive disappointment.

In the offseason, the Dodgers signed Diaz to a three-year deal worth $69 million and prepared the trumpet intro for the three-time All-Star.

By mid-July he went on the injured list when loose bodies − fragments of bone and cartilage − were found in his elbow. Surely the Dodgers hoped that might explain Diaz’s early struggles.

Diaz had a 10.50 ERA in seven appearances before he ended up on the injured list with his elbow injury.

But when he returned from elbow surgery in late July, it soon became apparent that the Dodgers may have fixed his elbow but not his problems on the mound. Diaz’s ERA has ballooned to 11.57 and he’s given up the lead in the ninth in three of his past four outings.

There was no tougher gut punch than Thursday against the Brewers. In 2/3 innings pitched, he gave four consecutive hits and was charged for three earned runs, rendering his two strikeouts immaterial.

“This game hurts, it matters, but (Diaz has) got to find his way and he’s got to have a runway to find his way,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame.

Though Roberts stood by his guy — “I definitely don’t think that he would have gotten here to this point if he were a guy that would spiral,” Roberts said — with the playoffs two months away, arguably the Dodgers’ biggest problem has been exposed.

Edwin Diaz cannot be trusted to save games, no matter how loud those trumpets play.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Dodgers have a massive problem. His name is Edwin Diaz. | Opinion

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