Arizona takes the season series from Los Angeles, while the Dodgers suffer another damaging loss and continue to search for answers offensively
The Arizona Diamondbacks delivered another significant blow to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, August 9, 2026, defeating their National League West rivals 4-2 at Chase Field in Phoenix. The victory allowed Arizona to clinch the season series against Los Angeles, marking the Diamondbacks’ first season-series victory over the Dodgers since 2018. The result also extended a difficult stretch for a Los Angeles club that entered the game with one of baseball’s strongest overall records but was struggling badly at the plate.
The difference in the game was established early. Arizona jumped on Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski in the opening two innings, building a 4-0 advantage before Los Angeles could generate any meaningful response. Ketel Marte provided the biggest blow in the first inning, launching a two-run home run into the Arizona bullpen. The Diamondbacks added two more runs in the second, giving starter Eduardo Rodríguez substantial room to work with.
Marte’s home run came with two outs in the first inning and followed an opening walk to Geraldo Perdomo. After Gabriel Moreno reached on a fielder’s choice, Marte drove a 1-1 fastball an estimated 385 feet to give Arizona an immediate 2-0 lead. It was exactly the type of early offensive production the Diamondbacks needed against a Dodgers team that had been searching for consistency throughout the series.
Arizona then capitalized on its opportunities in the second. Tyler Locklear and Gabriel Moreno doubled, and the Diamondbacks scored twice more after Wrobleski committed a throwing error on Ryan Waldschmidt’s sacrifice bunt. Moreno subsequently delivered an RBI double, pushing the advantage to 4-0. The early cushion proved decisive because Rodríguez settled into a dominant rhythm and prevented the Dodgers from mounting a sustained comeback.
Rodríguez was arguably the story of the afternoon. The veteran right-hander worked seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out nine. He threw 115 pitches, two short of his career high, and recorded his eighth quality start in his last 10 outings. His performance was particularly impressive against a Dodgers lineup filled with dangerous hitters.
The strikeout total was especially noteworthy because Rodríguez repeatedly won important individual battles against Los Angeles’ lineup. He struck out Teoscar Hernández three times and Shohei Ohtani twice, helping prevent the Dodgers from turning their collection of offensive talent into a big inning. Rodríguez also improved to 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts against Los Angeles during the 2026 season, according to Reuters’ game report.
Los Angeles did eventually begin to chip away at the deficit. Andy Pages produced an RBI double in the third inning after Enrique Hernández and Ben Rortvedt singled with one out. Then, in the sixth, Freddie Freeman opened the inning with a single before Kyle Tucker delivered a two-out triple that brought Freeman home. Those two runs reduced Arizona’s lead to 4-2, but the Dodgers could not produce another rally against the Diamondbacks’ bullpen.
While the Dodgers’ offense showed flashes, it ultimately could not sustain pressure. Los Angeles scored only seven runs across the three-game series, an alarming figure for a lineup with championship expectations. The Dodgers had snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory on Saturday, but Sunday’s defeat meant they had now lost eight of their last nine games. The offensive struggles were therefore more than a one-game problem; they had become an increasingly important storyline surrounding the club.
Wrobleski, meanwhile, endured one of his toughest outings of the season. He surrendered four runs, three earned, on six hits over just 3⅓ innings, while striking out three and walking three. According to Reuters, it was the shortest outing of his 27 career starts. Even more concerning, he had allowed nine home runs across his previous three starts, covering 13⅔ innings.
The Diamondbacks finished the job with a clean ninth inning from Kevin Ginkel, who struck out two during a 1-2-3 frame to record his first save of the season in two opportunities. Arizona’s victory improved the club to 63-56 and kept the Diamondbacks tied with Philadelphia for the National League’s second Wild Card position, six games behind the Chicago Cubs. Arizona has also gone 18-9 since July 9, demonstrating that its recent surge is becoming increasingly meaningful in the playoff race.
For the Dodgers, the defeat was another reminder that a strong season record does not guarantee momentum heading into the final weeks of the regular season. Los Angeles remained in first place in the National League West at 70-48 after the loss, but the club’s recent form and offensive inconsistency have created legitimate questions about its trajectory. Arizona, meanwhile, walked away with both the game and the season series, winning the 13-game season matchup 7-6. With the postseason approaching, Sunday’s result could prove to be an important snapshot of two teams moving in very different directions.
