Sweeping Dodgers sends Diamondbacks to All-Star break with sense of optimism

LOS ANGELES — The Arizona Diamondbacks swept the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium for the first time since 2017 this weekend, as a team struggling to elevate above .500 will enter the All-Star break after their most impressive series win of the season.

The Diamondbacks (49-47) have played within three games of .500 for the last five weeks, managing to not fall too far away from the National League Wild Card bracket despite inconsistent performances and numerous injuries.

Just when they looked to be hitting a low with back-to-back ugly defeats against the San Diego Padres this past week, the Diamondbacks rallied for four straight wins against division rivals, outscoring the Dodgers 23-8 in three games at Chavez Ravine. They were the cleaner, more aggressive and more athletic-looking bunch that forced mistakes and capitalized, which is the blueprint.

The Diamondbacks (49-47) won Sunday’s finale 5-3 after trailing 3-0 early, leaning on the bullpen, defense and an offense that took advantage of Los Angeles’ defensive woes. L.A. had not been swept this season.

SWEEP!

Tim Tawa blasted a solo home run in the ninth inning, and Paul Sewald notched his 22nd save of the season as the Diamondbacks completed a three-game sweep over the Dodgers on Sunday.

In their final game before the All-Star break, Arizona secured its first… pic.twitter.com/SpSDroPsDL

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) July 12, 2026

“We’re all excited about this series,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “It happened because we played good baseball. We did the things we were supposed to do and that we’re capable of doing, and that’s what I told the group. I got them together to talk about what this series meant to this team, and I have every reason to believe that we can continue doing this in the second half.

“We pitched well. We picked up the baseball. We had timely hitting. The mistakes we made, we recovered from.”

There was a loud celebration in the away clubhouse after Sunday’s game, Lovullo said.

The question heading into the break will be how sustainable is this?

Diamondbacks sweep Dodgers for 1st time in years

Arizona’s starting pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt attacked the strike zone over the first two games of the series while the bullpen was fantastic throughout (one run allowed in 12.2 innings, and it was late in a blowout win on Friday).

The lineup was more patient than usual and received contributions from throughout the batting order despite star players Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll going silent (1-for-26).

Gabriel Moreno has continued his stretch as the most consistent hitter on the team since early June with hits in 11 of his last 12 games, while Tim Tawa and Nolan Arenado got on a roll this weekend.

Sunday’s game did not start quite so positively with rookie starter Mitch Bratt getting touched up for three runs in three innings in place of Zac Gallen, but Arizona’s defense and bullpen simply took over the baseball game.

Moreno made an athletic, bare-handed play to rob Shohei Ohtani of a potential infield single in the fifth inning. Geraldo Perdomo made a highlight bare-handed play and Arenado snagged a diving catch in the sixth.

Glove optional 😎 pic.twitter.com/n35SJOjaLa

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 12, 2026

Taylor Clarke, Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel, Jonathan Loaisiga and Juan Morillo — all of whom own ERAs under 3.00 — shut out the Dodgers from innings 4-8. Paul Sewald secured the save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning after Tawa’s insurance solo home run.

The Diamondbacks’ bullpen threw six hitless innings on Sunday against one of the game’s most dangerous lineups.

“I just feel like this bullpen has been dominant,” Sewald said. “This was an exclamation point on an incredible first half.”

For a team that has struggled mightily against clubs over .500, the Dodgers series provided the Diamondbacks a sense of optimism when looking at the rest of the season.

This is Arizona’s longest winning streak since May, and that came against the lowly Giants and Rockies.

“Anytime you can take a series against any divisional opponent, especially a team like them, it’s a good feeling just from a (morale) standpoint but also from a standings standpoint,” veteran catcher James McCann said after hitting two home runs on Saturday.

“You try to stay even keel, but four-game win streaks, especially against division rivals and a team that we struggle against normally is always bigger,” Sewald said. “Every game matters a lot before Aug. 3rd. So we’re excited.”

Diamondbacks have to carry urgency over to 2nd half

Carroll said before Sunday’s game that coming to Dodger Stadium adds an energy, saying the D-backs have to play their A-game to beat the two-time defending champions. That’s the urgency that has to continue after the break, especially against NL Wild Card contenders like the St. Louis Cardinals, whom Arizona faces out of the break.

The bottom line is that the trade deadline is three weeks away on Aug. 3, and the Diamondbacks have work to do with a banged-up roster — particularly the pitching staff — to jump teams and get back in the bracket, or at least stay within striking distance.

They leave Sunday’s game trailing the Miami Marlins by 2.5 games for the final NL Wild Card spot with two teams between them. The front office wants to operate as a buyer.

“We’re in the middle of it, and we have not played close to our caliber of baseball,” Lovullo said. “I think the best is yet to come. If it does, we’re going to make some noise.”

In a third straight campaign since the 2023 World Series, the Diamondbacks are in the will they, won’t they group of potential buyers at the deadline.

There is urgency to play well now or face the threat of change both on the roster and in the dugout like last season. Lovullo is on the last year of his contract, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on Sunday that there have been no extension negotiations.

“We just control whatever we can control,” Perdomo told Arizona Sports on Friday. “This is baseball. Whatever decision the front office makes is their decision. We just try to play really good baseball and try to see if something good happens for us.”

The Diamondbacks have four days to recuperate, with Carroll and Rodriguez going to the All-Star Game.

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