​The Dodgers needed to rebound on Sunday to finish the unofficial first half on a high note, a point emphasized by manager Dave Roberts the night before. “When you give teams free bases, extra outs, it’s hard to win a game, regardless of the opponent,” Roberts said. “Emmet [Sheehan] needs to go out there and throw the baseball well tomorrow. We’ve got to find a way to win a game tomorrow to feel somewhat better about going into the [All-Star] break.” Yet instead of completing a late surge, the Dodgers fell 5-3 to the Diamondbacks, marking their first series sweep loss of the season and Arizona’s first sweep at Dodger Stadium since September 2017.
Sheehan delivered a solid, if not dominant, performance, holding Arizona to two runs over 5 1/3 innings. It was evident early on that his pitch count could limit his outing. He fought through a 14-pitch at-bat to strike out Ketel Marte, then proceeded to fan the side and work efficiently enough to reach the sixth inning before departing after reaching 101 pitches.
Shohei Ohtani provided the offense with his ninth leadoff homer of the season and 22nd overall, contributing a two-hit day that sparked the Dodgers at the plate. The defense, however, committed a few misplays that kept the game within reach for Arizona. In the fifth inning, All-Star center fielder Andy Pages leaped at the wall for a long fly ball but couldn’t haul it in as it bounced off his glove. Then in the sixth, a tying run scored when All-Star third baseman Max Muncy’s throw to the plate hit Geraldo Perdomo in the back as he slid home.
Despite the late hiccups, the Dodgers have enjoyed a successful first half. They enter the All-Star break with the best record in baseball at 61-36 and own an 11 1/2‑game lead in the NL West. Six Dodgers earned All-Star selections, underscoring the strong performance across the roster. With MLB pausing for the midseason showcase, it’s an apt moment to recognize a few standout performers and reflect on a season that has, for the most part, gone in a positive direction.
Among the standout performers, Ohtani stands out as the frontrunner for NL MVP in these early unofficial awards, thanks to his remarkable two-way contributions. He has been among the league’s top performers both on the mound and at the plate, ranking in the NL’s top tier in offensive fWAR (26.6) and OPS (.940). His 1.79 ERA also positions him second among NL pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched, keeping him squarely in Cy Young contention despite just 85 2/3 innings in the first half—an outcome shaped in part by the Dodgers’ six-man rotation and a knee issue that sidelined him for a portion of the period.
Honorable mentions go to Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy for their continued excellence, and Yamamoto’s sparkling development adds intrigue to the remainder of the season and beyond. As the Dodgers head into the break, they’ve built a strong foundation to carry into the second half, with plenty of momentum to tap into once play resumes.