What happened: Los Angeles entered the week with 24 defensive errors on the season, standing as the lowest total across Major League Baseball. The club has since committed nine additional defensive miscues over its recent slate of matchups. These fielding struggles coincided with back-to-back home losses to the Arizona Diamondbacks where Los Angeles surrendered 18 combined runs.
Why it matters: In ongoing action between the two clubs where the Arizona Diamondbacks lead the series 2-0, Los Angeles holds a 3-2 lead during live play. Despite the recent uptick in errors, the Los Angeles Dodgers still carry a 58-32 overall record into the final games before the All-Star break. Tightening field reliability remains a priority to preserve the pitching staff's 3.7 runs-allowed average during the second half of the season.
By the numbers: Across five completed head-to-head matchups this season, Los Angeles has dropped three games to Arizona while being outscored 26 to 20. On the year, the Dodgers average 5.3 runs scored per contest compared to the Diamondbacks' 4.4 mark. Arizona carries a 46-40 overall record and a 4.3 runs-allowed average into the current series.
What to watch: Watch whether Los Angeles stabilizes its fielding performance through the conclusion of its live contest against Arizona before entering the All-Star break. The club will then look to reset its defensive routines ahead of the second half of the regular season schedule.