PITTSBURGH -- The Dodgers came into September with one of the easier schedules in the Majors, at least on paper.

But games aren't played on paper, and playing weaker opponents well has been far from a strength for L.A. of late.

The Dodgers were shut down by a dominant Paul Skenes and fell, 5-3 , to the Pirates on Thursday night at PNC Park. The loss sealed a three-game sweep at the hands of the Bucs, who are 13 games under .500 and in last place in the NL Central.

It follows a troubling trend for the Dodgers over the past month. Since Aug. 1, the Dodgers have gone 11-4 against teams with .500 records or better. But Thursday's loss dropped them to 4-12 against sub-.500 teams in that same span.

Facing a tight race in the NL West, the Dodgers had a big opportunity to pull away from the

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