Dodgers’ Division Lead Vanishes After Rough Trip to Anaheim
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ struggles continued down I-5 this week, as they dropped both games of their Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Angels. The defeats not only extended their losing streak against their crosstown rivals to five games this season but also erased what was once a comfortable National League West lead.
By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ struggles continued down I-5 this week, as they dropped both games of their Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Angels. The defeats not only extended their losing streak against their crosstown rivals to five games this season but also erased what was once a comfortable National League West lead.
Angels Take Series Opener
In Monday’s opener, Angels shortstop Zach Neto wasted no time, hitting his eighth leadoff home run of the season. Neto added another blast in the sixth inning, while Mike Trout’s two-run single and Yoán Moncada’s two RBIs powered the Angels to a 7–4 win.
The Dodgers trailed 7–0 before Shohei Ohtani cut into the deficit with his 42nd home run of the year—a solo shot to right in the eighth inning, marking his third straight game with a homer. Max Muncy followed with a three-run blast to close the gap, but the rally fell short.
With the loss, the Dodgers’ NL West lead over the San Diego Padres shrank to just one game—the narrowest margin since mid-June.
Heartbreaker in Extras
Game two followed a similar script. The Dodgers carried a one-run lead into the bottom of the ninth, but reliever Alex Vesia surrendered a leadoff single, a walk, and eventually a sacrifice fly from Nolan Schanuel to tie the score.
In the 10th inning, Jo Adell ended it with a high-chopping, walk-off RBI single over the head of a drawn-in Max Muncy, sealing a 7–6 Angels victory.
Frustration Mounting
The Dodgers’ midseason slide has been dramatic. On July 4, they led the Padres by nine games and had a 98% chance of winning the division, according to FanGraphs. Since then, they have gone just 12–20, while San Diego has surged to a 22–12 record after making key trade deadline additions.
“I think you can sense the frustration,” said first baseman Freddie Freeman in a quiet postgame clubhouse.
“You look at the standings,” manager Dave Roberts added. “We just have to play better baseball.”
With both teams now tied atop the division at 68–52, the Dodgers face a pivotal stretch: two head-to-head series against San Diego over the next two weekends.
