Astros crush Dodgers 5-1 on July 6, 2025, with late homers from Altuve, Walker & Diaz. LA's pitching woes continue as an early lead evaporates in the loss.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a day that started with promise and ended in frustration. The Dodgers took an early lead at Chavez Ravine on Sunday, but a quiet offense and a late-inning pitching collapse allowed the Houston Astros to surge ahead for a 5-1 victory. The loss not only stings but also shines a harsh spotlight on the team's biggest vulnerability: a pitching staff stretched dangerously thin.
The Astros sealed the game with three home runs in the final two innings, turning a tight contest into a decisive loss.
For a moment, it looked like the Dodgers might grind out a tough win. A second-inning RBI double from Dalton Rushing to score Michael Conforto gave LA a 1-0 lead that felt significant in a pitcher's duel. But the offense couldn't build on it. Houston tied the game on a Jose Altuve sacrifice fly in the third and then the wheels came off late. A bases-loaded walk in the sixth gave the Astros the lead before back-to-back homers by Christian Walker and Yainer Diaz in the eighth, followed by an Altuve solo shot in the ninth, put the game firmly out of reach. One run simply isn't going to cut it.
The front office isn't sitting idle. In a move that directly addresses the bullpen's recent struggles, the Dodgers recalled right-hander Emmet Sheehan from Triple-A Oklahoma City before the game, optioning Jack Little in his place. This is a clear attempt to find a fresh arm that can provide stability in high-leverage situations. While Sheehan has had his own ups and downs, the team is desperate for someone to step up and stop the bleeding, especially with the current injury crisis.
You can't talk about the Dodgers' pitching problems without acknowledging the massive elephant in the room: injuries. The bullpen is a M.A.S.H. unit. With Evan Phillips and River Ryan lost for most, if not all, of the season to Tommy John surgery, and Kyle Hurt also recovering from the same procedure, the core of the relief corps is gone. Add in Brusdar Graterol's shoulder surgery, with a potential rehab assignment not starting until August, and it's easy to see why the remaining pitchers are under immense pressure. Every game is a tightrope walk, and on Sunday, they finally fell.
Losing the series finale at home is a tough pill to swallow, especially in this fashion. The path forward doesn't get any easier. With the pitching staff severely shorthanded for the foreseeable future, the pressure mounts on the offense to wake up and provide more cushion. The Dodgers will need to scratch and claw for every win as they navigate this challenging stretch, all while hoping a combination of players like Sheehan and the existing arms can somehow hold the line until reinforcements arrive.
