LOS ANGELES — Forget the notion that the Los Angeles Dodgers are the ones threatening baseball. Right now, it’s the Toronto Blue Jays dismantling the Dodgers’ rhythm. And, perhaps most concerning, the Dodgers are partly sabotaging themselves.

Deficiencies are emerging across the board — at the plate, in the field, and on the mound. Should the Dodgers fail to become the first team to win back-to-back World Series since the late-1990s Yankees, the question will be fair: when will they ever have such a golden opportunity again?

The Dodgers’ roster of position players is aging. Entering the postseason, all four of their top starting pitchers were healthy, an uncommon luxury in an era when injuries frequently strike pitching staffs. While GM Andrew Friedman and his team can acquire reinforcements — as they routinely do — they are also committed to some of their current veterans.

The World Series is far from decided, but Wednesday night’s 6-1 defeat to the Blue Jays left the Dodgers trailing three games to two as the series returns to Toronto. Historically, of 31 teams that have faced such a deficit, only eight have mounted a comeback to win the Series, according to STATS Perform. Yet the list includes the 2016 Chicago Cubs and 2019 Washington Nationals, both from recent memory.

Can this Dodgers squad repeat that feat? With a near $400 million payroll, the expectation is high.

Last season, the Dodgers faced elimination in the Division Series against the San Diego Padres, beginning their turnaround from a 2-1 deficit with a bullpen-heavy road win. Outfielder Kiké Hernández noted this team is even more talented than last year’s squad, yet talent does not automatically translate into flawless execution.

Consider this: if not for historic performances from right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 and Shohei Ohtani in Game 3, the Dodgers might still be searching for a single Series win. Yamamoto, who became the first pitcher to throw consecutive complete games in the postseason since Curt Schilling in 2001, gives the Dodgers hope for a crucial Game 6 victory. A win there would set up a classic Game 7, though the outcome would remain unpredictable. As multiple Dodgers stressed Wednesday night, the key is hitting.

Rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage was nearly untouchable in Game 5, baffling the Dodgers with his split-fingered fastball and slider, becoming the first rookie in World Series history to strike out 12 batters in a single game. Meanwhile, since defeating the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series, the Dodgers’ lineup has struggled, hitting just .214 with a .666 OPS against the Phillies, Brewers, and Blue Jays. This comes from a team that finished second in runs scored only to the Yankees during the regular season, though inconsistent stretches like this one have emerged.

Some offensive struggles can be attributed to misfortune. In the past three series, the Dodgers’ batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is .265, thirteen points below the postseason average, while the Blue Jays enjoy a .305 BABIP. But luck alone cannot explain the struggles: Dodgers hitters strike out at a 25 percent clip compared to the Blue Jays’ 16 percent, and home runs have been scarce.

“At-bats seem to be snowballing against us right now,” Hernández admitted. “We get pitches to hit, we miss them, and then we expand the zone when down to two strikes.”

Manager Dave Roberts shook up the lineup for Game 5, inserting Alex Call for Andy Pages in the outfield and moving catcher Will Smith to the No. 2 spot while dropping Mookie Betts to third in the batting order — the first time Betts hit lower than second since September 2021. The adjustments made little impact, largely due to Yesavage’s dominance. Betts went 0-for-4 and now hits just .164 with a .476 OPS since the wild-card round. “I’ve just been terrible,” he acknowledged candidly.

Roberts remains uncertain about his Game 6 lineup against Jays’ right-hander Kevin Gausman. The long-term picture, however, is concerning: among Dodgers signed beyond this season, first baseman Freddie Freeman is 36, third baseman Max Muncy 35, Hernández 34, Teoscar Hernández and Betts 33. Freeman, especially productive during the regular season, is no longer at his prime level.

The Dodgers had favorable pitching matchups in the last two games but scored only three combined runs. Left-hander Blake Snell gave up two homers on his first three pitches in Game 5, and his line ended at 6 2/3 innings and five earned runs after reliever Edgardo Henriquez allowed two inherited runners to score. Roberts called it “a heck of a game.”

The bullpen has been heroic at times — eleven scoreless innings in the 18-inning Game 3 showcase their resolve — yet several high-profile relievers were unavailable. Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, costing $85 million combined last offseason, did not make the playoff roster. Right-hander Blake Treinen, signed for $22 million, has struggled since heavy postseason use last year. Evan Phillips needed Tommy John surgery, Alex Vesia missed the series due to a family emergency, and deadline acquisition Brock Stewart pitched only four times before landing on the injured list.

The Dodgers’ starting rotation posts a postseason ERA of 2.54, but the bullpen ERA is 4.56. Overall, the team is 11-4 in the playoffs, yet this Series has masked those successes. The gap between the Dodgers and Blue Jays is evident both offensively and defensively.

Game 5 exemplified defensive lapses. In the fourth inning, Teoscar Hernández misplayed a 75.6 mph floater, allowing a triple and Toronto’s third run. Conversely, Addison Barger’s diving grab on Ohtani’s 117.3 mph line drive was a rare highlight. Three wild pitches — two by Snell, one by Henriquez — helped the Jays extend their lead. By the seventh inning, Dodger Stadium had turned somber. Clayton Kershaw likely won’t pitch again, but his final home game could have been a memorable sendoff.

Preseason predictions suggested the Dodgers might win a record 120 games, yet they finished with 93 — one fewer than Toronto — costing them home-field advantage. Now, they face the challenge of winning two games in Toronto, where fans anticipate their first World Series title since 1993.

“We trust each other. We believe we’re the best team in baseball,” Smith said. “We’ve fought through injuries and expectations all year. We’re ready to go in and win two games.”

Roberts’ post-NLCS words resonate: “Let’s get four more wins and really ruin baseball.” The Dodgers now need two straight victories — not just to survive but to reclaim their identity. Not exactly the storyline they envisioned.