Dodgers stumble into All-Star break after sweep by Diamondbacks

LOS ANGELES — Finding success on a Sunday remains elusive for Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan.

The 26-year-old started on a Sunday for the sixth straight week and delivered his finest results in that span, but several teammates let him down in the 5-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.

With their latest setback, the Dodgers were swept for the first time this season, creating a sour mood they’ll carry through the four-day All-Star break that begins Monday.

The Dodgers, who came into the day with the fewest errors in MLB (35), committed two more on Sunday, leading to two unearned runs. They had six errors in the series.

The offense also managed just three hits, including a double and a homer by Shohei Ohtani.

Sheehan was tagged for three runs in 5⅓ innings, but only one was earned. He struck out seven and walked one.

Sheehan had retired 10 in a row and was sitting on a 3-0 lead when Ildemaro Vargas hit a line drive towards the right-center field gap with one out in the fifth. Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages cut the ball off before it reached the warning track, but his throw to second was wide.

Nolan Arenado then doubled over Pages’ head to cut it to 3-1. Tim Tawa followed with a drive into right-center and Pages got there in time, but the first-year All-Star dropped the ball for a two-base error, putting runners on second and third.

Arenado then scored an unearned run on a sacrifice fly, cutting it to 3-2.

Sheehan came back out for the sixth and walked Perdomo to start the inning. A passed ball moved him to second and a fly ball put him on third, ending Sheehan’s day.

Edgardo Henriquez (4-1) came in and walked Gabriel Moreno. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. then rolled a grounder up the third-base line that Max Muncy fielded, but his throw home hit Perdomo in the back, allowing him to score the tying run on the error.

Vargas followed with a line drive off the base of the wall near the right-field foul pole, scoring Moreno for a 4-3 lead.

Tawa gave the Diamondbacks some insurance with a solo home run in the ninth, stretching the lead to 5-3.

Sheehan came in 1-4 in his previous five Sunday starts with a 6.15 ERA.

That stretch included an outing against the visiting Angels on June 7 in which he was yanked after surrendering two runs in 1⅓ innings of an eventual 13-5 loss.

That was the Dodgers’ biggest margin of defeat this season until Sheehan took the mound two weeks later on another Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium and was tagged for six runs in 3⅓ innings of a 12-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

Sheehan began his latest Sunday by needing 14 pitches to strike out Ketel Marte, but just three to sit down Geraldo Perdomo. He then finished the opening inning by striking out Corbin Carroll.

He had six strikeouts through three innings

Arizona left-hander Mitch Bratt made his second MLB start and the only player on the Dodgers who had faced him before was Mookie Betts, who singled off Bratt in the first inning of a 2023 WBC game, when Bratt started for Team Canada and gave up six runs and recorded one out in the 12-1 win by the U.S.

Ohtani was the first batter to face Bratt on Sunday and he smashed the first pitch over the fence in center for a 1-0 lead.

Betts came up with runners on second and third and one out in the third, but popped out on the infield off Bratt, bringing up Tommy Edman, who dropped a single in front of Gurriel in left, scoring both runners for a 3-0 lead.