Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers have played almost comically sloppy ball for the last week or so, and that trend continued today in the final game of the first half and final game of the series against the Diamondbacks. They rushed out to an early lead and then gave up that lead almost entirely due to their defense continuing to play horribly. It didn’t help that the bats basically mailed it in the rest of the game after the quick start in a 5-3 loss.
I figure I owe you an actual recap this time to end the first half, so … here we go.
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Emergency starter Mitch Bratt was making his second start of the season and his career, and his first pitch was crushed for Shohei Ohtani‘s 22nd homer of the year, which included amusing commentary from Eric Karros. 1-0 Dodgers.
I mean he didn't say anything wrong, but … Shohei Ohtani lead-off homer. https://t.co/7jpl4DtEkM pic.twitter.com/4JZbapaS7b
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 12, 2026
A pair of two-out walks in the 2nd were then stranded, which looked like it would continue their recent frustrations with scoring chances, as an Ohtani double and Andy Pages walk started the 3rd but looked like they might also be left. A 3-1 flyout advanced both runners, but a 2-0 pop-up followed, so thankfully Tommy Edman rescued the chance with a bloop single to left to plate a pair and make it 3-0 Dodgers.
At least Edman salvaged things with a bloop single. https://t.co/jUfAKjzjTl pic.twitter.com/ald7cDgohd
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 12, 2026
The end of the 3rd was the end of Bratt’s outing as well.
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On the other side, Emmet Sheehan did his usual thing of starting well by striking out the side in the 1st, including winning a 14-pitch lead-off at-bat against Ketel Marte.
Emmet Sheehan stuck out the side in the 1st, though that included a 14-pitch lead-off at-bat. pic.twitter.com/QRB4yDaHjm
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 12, 2026
The sloppiness sorta started in the 2nd, when Sheehan gave up a lead-off single — that was actually a complete whiff at third from Max Muncy — and promptly balked him to second, but he did manage to get the next three hitters to escape a jam.
Sheehan then rebounded with a clean 3rd that included another two strikeouts.
First time through Sheehan is the GOAT. pic.twitter.com/oS9AtcetIv
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 12, 2026
Sheehan continued to roll in the 4th, getting a clean frame, but the problems emerged in the 5th. With one down, back-to-back doubles cut the lead to 3-1, then Pages just clanked a ball in center for a two-base error, and a sac fly plated another run to make it just 3-2 Dodgers before Sheehan was able to get the final out.
Things somehow got worse in the 6th, as a lead-off walk was followed by a passed ball from Eliezer Alfonzo, which of course was advanced to third on a flyball.
That was it for Sheehan, who pitched well but continued to run out of gas a bit: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 7 K, 101 Pitches.
Edgardo Henriquez entered and walked the lead-off man to setup the double play, and a groundball immediately followed. For whatever reason, Muncy tried to make the harder play at home instead and hit the runner, leading to an error, the run scoring, and the other runner getting to third.
In play, run(s) pic.twitter.com/bNE4IenK5U
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 12, 2026
A single followed and gave the D-backs a lead, only getting bailed when he tried to take second. No more damage, mercifully.
Brock Stewart took over in the 7th, giving up a one-out walk and a two-out steal, but nothing else. Tanner Scott got a clean 8th, but Evan Phillips gave up a two-out solo homer in the 9th that made it 5-3 Diamondbacks.
King of the Court ? pic.twitter.com/a7N9ltmQIt
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 12, 2026
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Meanwhile, he D-backs pen started with clean 4th, 5th, and 6th innings as the offense looked dead.
Part of that was because in amusing contrast to the Dodgers they played stellar defense.
Glove optional ? pic.twitter.com/n35SJOjaLa
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 12, 2026
If it glitters, it might be Gold. pic.twitter.com/buZL7gnEno
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 12, 2026
Then in the 7th, they finally gave up a two-out walk, but that was it. In the 8th, a lead-off walk was erased by a double play in a 1-2-3 frame, and they went down meekly in order in the 9th.
Woof.
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61-36, still the best record in baseball, and if it helps any they would have to actively try for the defense to be this bad the rest of the season.
The Home Run Derby is tomorrow at 2:00 PM HT/5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET on Netflix, and the All-Star Game is the day after at the same time on FOX.
The season will resume on a nine-game East Coast road trip starting on July 17 with three against the Yankees at 1:05 PM HT/4:05 PM PT/7:05 PM ET on MLB Network.
