The Dodgers' offense has gone cold at the worst possible time, and manager Dave Roberts isn't sugarcoating it.

Los Angeles lost 6-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, Aug. 16, at Dodger Stadium, dropping the four-game series 3-1 and falling three games behind Milwaukee for the best record in baseball. It was the Dodgers' 11th loss in 16 games.

"This has been cumulative. It's been a long time since we've been consistent offensively," Roberts said after the game, according to the LA Times. "I just don't see the consistent plan of attack, one through nine. ... We just haven't played clean baseball for quite some time, and that speaks to the defense and not converting an out. It's just not winning baseball."

Roberts pointed to the Brewers as a contrast, calling Milwaukee "a team that's young and hungry" and saying the Dodgers' struggles come down to effort, not talent.

The numbers back him up. The Dodgers have scored just 50 runs in August, sixth-fewest in baseball, and carry a .672 OPS for the month. That's a steep fall from their .773 OPS through the end of July. Their record in August: 5-10.

Two of the club's biggest offseason acquisitions are at the center of the slump. Right fielder Kyle Tucker, signed to a $240-million contract, went 0-for-19 on the homestand and dropped a ball in right field Sunday. He's hitting .192 at home compared to .275 on the road. Closer Edwin Díaz has blown three saves in his past five appearances.

Mookie Betts entered the Brewers series with career lows in batting average (.239), on-base percentage (.295) and OPS (.709).

The one bright spot has been Tarik Skubal, the two-time Cy Young winner acquired from Detroit at the Aug. 1 trade deadline. Skubal threw a career-high 109 pitches through six innings Sunday, giving up two runs (one earned) on seven hits. He struck out the side in the sixth, touching 99 mph on his fastball.

Still, Skubal has left the game with his team trailing in all three of his Dodger starts. He took the loss for the second time. After the game, Skubal said he was frustrated with his pitch count through five innings and called his recent outings unacceptable, saying he needs to pitch deeper into games and give his team a chance to win.

Roberts praised Skubal's competitiveness but acknowledged the offense hasn't given him much to work with. In four games against Milwaukee, the Dodgers managed just 10 runs total. Brewers starter Logan Henderson, the pitcher Milwaukee reportedly refused to trade for Skubal at the deadline, held the Dodgers to three hits and one run over seven innings Sunday in front of 45,828 fans.

Tommy Edman committed two errors, including a failed fielding attempt in the ninth that allowed two runs to score.

The Dodgers (74-51) remain first in the NL West but trail both Milwaukee and Atlanta for the top two NL seeds that would provide a first-round playoff bye. They open a three-game series at Colorado on Monday, Aug. 17, with Blake Snell on the mound, beginning a stretch of 13 consecutive game days with no rest.