CHICAGO — The Dodgers built a one-run lead and Emmet Sheehan protected it for five innings. Then the sixth inning arrived, and the White Sox turned a quiet afternoon into a five-run eruption that buried Los Angeles before the bullpen could blink. One run became six in the span of a few at-bats. The Dodgers clawed back but never got close enough, falling 6-4 in the series finale at Rate Field and finishing the six-game road trip at 3-3.
Freeman Gets Them There
Freddie Freeman did his part right out of the gate. With two outs in the first and Shohei Ohtani already on base via catcher interference, Freeman turned on a pitch and sent it over the right field wall for his 11th home run of the season. That was all the Dodgers needed early, because Sheehan was doing the rest.
Sheehan was methodical. He punched out eight batters in five innings, allowed just four hits, and did not let a White Sox lineup that had been quiet all series get comfortable. He stranded Colson Montgomery after a sixth-inning-adjacent double in the fourth, navigated his way through traffic without giving up a second run, and handed the Dodgers a 1-0 lead heading into that sixth. The issue was never Sheehan. The issue was what came after.
Five Runs. One Inning. It Was Over.
Sam Antonacci opened the bottom of the sixth with a solo shot to right field. That tied it. From there, the Dodgers’ bullpen unraveled with the speed of a team that simply ran out of answers. Miguel Vargas singled, stole second, and scored on an Andrew Benintendi double. The Dodgers brought in Jack Dreyer to stop the bleeding. He did not.
Colson Montgomery stepped in and launched his 17th home run of the season, a two-run shot to right that scored Benintendi and put Chicago ahead 4-1 just like that. Braden Montgomery followed with a single. Then Chase Meidroth, in the very next at-bat, hit his sixth home run to make it 6-1. Five runs. Five batters. The White Sox had completely flipped the game in the span of a few minutes, and there was nothing left to argue about.
Betts and a Few Late Sparks
Give the Dodgers credit for not going quietly. Dalton Rushing opened the seventh with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Alex Freeland to make it 6-2. Mookie Betts added a solo home run in the eighth, his seventh of the year, cutting the deficit to three. Ryan Ward walked and eventually scored in the ninth on an Alex Freeland double, making it 6-4.
But Freddie Freeman struck out swinging to end it, and Seranthony Dominguez picked up his 12th save of the season. Los Angeles left seven on base across the game and could not generate the kind of sustained pressure needed to come back from a five-run hole against a team that suddenly found its footing. Ohtani was walked intentionally and reached twice but never came around to score. That dynamic, the best hitter in baseball being neutralized at key moments, was a recurring frustration throughout.
The Road Trip Ends, Home Awaits
Emmet Sheehan takes the loss and falls to 3-4. The decision stings a little given how well he pitched, but that is the nature of a game where the bullpen surrenders five runs before recording an out. Erick Fedde picks up the win for Chicago, improving to 2-5 in an unlikely performance.
The Dodgers head home splitting a road trip that had a clean opportunity to feel better than it did. They went 3-3 across six games, took care of business in spots but also handed away winnable games. The sixth inning on Sunday is one they will want back. It is also one that should fade quickly, because the schedule does not wait.
Up Next
Los Angeles returns home for a quick turnaround, opening a new three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium on Monday. Eric Lauer (ERA: TBD) takes the mound opposite Tampa Bay’s Nick Martinez. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PT. The Dodgers will be home for the next six games, three against the Rays and three against the Orioles.
