Dodgers tied for NL West lead after walk-off loss

Dodgers squander late lead in Anaheim as Angels rally for a 7-6 walk-off win.

Angels walk-off beats Dodgers to tie NL West lead

In the top of the ninth at Angel Stadium, Shohei Ohtani hit a go-ahead home run off Kenley Jansen, lifting the Angels to the brink of victory. The Dodgers tied the game in the bottom of the frame but could not close it out, and the bullpen unraveled in extras. Jo Adell delivered a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th as Los Angeles dropped a 7-6 decision.
The late collapse underscored a season-long pattern for the Dodgers: late-game misfires and a fragile lead. Earlier, Oscar Muncy’s lineup work produced a brief rally, but a missed opportunity with the bases loaded in the fifth helped keep the score tight. Clayton Kershaw is not mentioned, but the club highlighted a bullpen that had momentary success before fading under pressure, continuing a stretch of inconsistent effort.
With the loss, Los Angeles is now tied with San Diego for first in the NL West at 68-52. The Padres have surged with trades and a sharper late-season push, turning a once-comfortable division cushion into a tight race. The Dodgers have gone 12-20 since July 4, a span that has dramatically altered the division picture and left a thin margin for error in the final weeks of the season.
Manager Dave Roberts said the team must improve their baseball execution, stressing that clean lines and sharp play are needed to regain footing and separate from a challenging stretch ahead.

The game serves as a microcosm of the Dodgers’ recent arc: moments of promise followed by costly breakdowns. The swing by Ohtani changed the tone of the night, but the real story is the bullpen’s repeated vulnerability in high-leverage moments. In a season where bullpen depth has been a recurring concern, a single blown lead can swing more than one game; it can shake a team’s confidence. The upcoming head-to-head series with the Padres will test whether Los Angeles can reset and protect late leads, or if this stretch signals a deeper flaw in late-inning management and roster balance.
Beyond the numbers, the larger implication is a shift in competitive dynamics within the division. San Diego’s improvements and the Dodgers’ stumble mean every game matters more, and hands are now required to perform when it counts. If the Dodgers intend to maintain a status as a consistent title contender, they must translate this experience into tighter, more reliable performance down the stretch, both in pitching and in run production.

Highlights

The season will be defined by how well this team responds to pressure in the final weeks.