LOS ANGELES -- For months, the Dodgers flirted with a double-digit lead atop the National League West. By all accounts, it appeared as if the champagne was on ice and playing the rest of the schedule was just a formality as the club waltzed into its 11th division crown in 12 seasons.

A lot has changed over the last month. Now, if the Dodgers are to win the NL West this season, it won¡¯t come nearly as easily. After a 9-4 loss to the Phillies on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers¡¯ lead atop the NL West over the Padres and D-backs is down to three games, the closest it has been since April 25.

"I think for us, my first time watching from my office, we set a bar here where you have to play good to play for us,¡± said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. ¡°We¡¯re in a pennant race and the bar for performance has got to be high for us. We've got to get guys back and the best guys are going to play, that¡¯s just the way it goes."

The reason Roberts watched the end of the game from his office was because of a play in question in the top of the sixth inning. With the Dodgers holding onto a one-run lead after an Alec Bohm leadoff double, the Phillies sent out Brandon Marsh to lay down a bunt against left-hander Alex Vesia.

Marsh was able to get it down to Kik¨¦ Hern¨¢ndez, who came crashing down from third base. After a slight bobble, Hern¨¢ndez then fired to Miguel Rojas, who applied the tag on Bohm for the first out of the inning. Or at least that¡¯s what everyone in attendance thought had happened.

Instead, third-base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt signaled that Rojas impeded Bohm¡¯s path to the bag and ruled the Phillies¡¯ third baseman safe, putting runners on the corners with no outs instead of one out and a runner on first.

"He was in front of the bag without the ball,¡± crew chief Marvin Hudson explained to a pool reporter after the game. "And that¡¯s the new obstruction rule. Plus, he was running in front of him to third. He was in front of third without the ball, so he obstructed the runner. The runner didn¡¯t have a lane to get to the bag."

Roberts and Rojas adamantly disagreed with the call on the field. Both indicated that had the play been called a different way, it would¡¯ve changed the complexion of the game.

"I¡¯m aware of the rule. I¡¯m not trying to block the bag,¡± Rojas said. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to [get] anybody hurt. I¡¯m not trying to hurt the other player, or be in the way, just because I think that¡¯s my only way to get him out. I¡¯m just trying to make a tag. And if you see the replay, he definitely hit my foot, but my foot is kind of like on the other side of the bag.¡±

While Roberts went as far as saying that one play cost the Dodgers the game, there were plenty of other things that had to go wrong for Los Angeles to lose the series to Philadelphia. After being staked to an early 4-1 lead, Gavin Stone struggled once again. Then, in that sixth inning, Joe Kelly walked a pair of hitters and a wild pitch allowed the Phillies to take the lead before Kyle Schwarber took care of the rest with a three-run homer (his second of three homers on the night, each against a different pitcher).

¡°We left the door open and they took advantage of it, to their credit,¡± Roberts said. ¡°We lost a series to a good team and it¡¯s really frustrating. Yeah, this is a frustrating one."

Those frustrations have been clear for more than a month as the Dodgers have seen their division lead shrink from nine games to three. During that span, the Dodgers have not pitched well, the timely hitting has disappeared more often than not and they haven¡¯t worn down teams in ways they¡¯ve grown accustomed to.

Injuries, of course, have played a role in those struggles, as the Dodgers have been depleted at multiple positions at times. They¡¯ll be getting a handful of reinforcements soon -- particularly Mookie Betts, who should be returning on Monday against the Brewers.

With that, however, the Dodgers now know what¡¯s in front of them. Their situation has changed drastically in just a few weeks.

"We all in this clubhouse know where we¡¯re at right now,¡± Rojas said. ¡°And we kind of have to be perfect to win baseball games. And when you try to make a play like that, you have to be kind of perfect to make the play. When another thing happens on top of that, it builds into the frustration ... and they tied the game, they took the lead on a big night from Schwarber."