​The Sunday Silver Lining for the Dodgers was that the setback wasn’t a blowout, even as they fell to the Diamondbacks for the third straight day. Arizona completed a 5-3 victory that capped a series sweep and left Los Angeles with a deflating sense of momentum lost just before the All-Star break. This week underscored a troubling trend in the Dodgers’ defense, as nine errors over the last five games signals a rough patch that is hard to overlook. Sunday’s missteps included two costly mistakes: Andy Pages lost a fly ball in the fifth inning during a two-run frame, and Max Muncy’s throw home caromed off a well-positioned Geraldo Perdomo, setting up Arizona’s two-run sixth that gave the Diamondbacks the lead for good.
That sequence spoiled a promising start from Emmet Sheehan, who delivered an encouraging outing with seven strikeouts against just one walk over 5 1/3 innings. He allowed three runs, but only one was earned, highlighting a combination of unlucky hits and infield mishaps that plagued the Dodgers all week. The bright spot on offense was Shohei Ohtani, who wasted no time making his presence felt. He homered on the very first pitch of the game for a solo shot, his fourth long ball in six games, and he also added a double. Ohtani finished the series against Arizona with two home runs, a performance that matched Diamondbacks first baseman Tim Tawa for the weekend.
Tawa was a standout in the series, driving in seven runs, one fewer than the Dodgers managed as a team over the span. It was that kind of weekend for Los Angeles, where one or two pivotal plays could swing the outcome, but the cumulative misplays and missed opportunities weighed more heavily.
From a pitching perspective, Ryan Thompson earned the win for Arizona with an inning of relief, while Edgardo Henriquez took the loss after 2/3 of an inning, permitting a run on a hit and a walk. Paul Sewald closed things out for the Diamondbacks with a clean ninth, securing his 22nd save of the season. The context of the box score—Ohtani’s early homer and a late surge by Arizona—captured a narrative of a Dodgers squad that sometimes looked sharper at the plate but faltered defensively at the most inopportune times.
With the All-Star break at hand, several Dodgers will head to Philadelphia to participate in the All-Star Game on Tuesday (5 p.m. PT, Fox). For the Dodgers’ next full ballgame, the schedule resumes Friday in the Bronx against the New York Yankees (4:05 p.m. PT; SportsNet LA, MLB Network). As the break arrives, the questions for Los Angeles center on how they’ll regroup defensively, stabilize the pitching staff, and recapture the consistency that characterized their play earlier in the season, particularly on the road and in high-leverage moments. The All-Star break offers a chance to reset, but the immediate task remains Friday’s showdown with New York, where the Dodgers will look to start the second half with renewed focus and a cleaner defensive performance.