Dodgers fall to Diamondbacks to set up series that might prove to have extra meaning

PHOENIX –– For most of this season, the Dodgers have been watching the San Diego Padres in their rear-view mirror.After Monday night, they might need to make sure the Arizona Diamondbacks are not sneaking up in their blind spot.In the first of a four-game series at Chase Field, the Dodgers lost 4-1 to a resurgent D-backs team, which has won 15 of its last 22 games to move within a half-game of the Padres for second place in the National League West.Neither division rival is exactly pushing the Dodgers right now.Even with Monday’s win, the D-backs remain 5 ½ games back in the NL West race.But this week’s series does provide an opportunity for Arizona, which has recovered from a 17-20 start behind an expectedly good offense and, unexpectedly, an even better pitching staff in recent weeks.On Monday night, the latter was on full display.Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez flummoxed the Dodgers over six one-run innings, continuing his bounce-back campaign by escaping a couple early jams. In the top of the second, the Dodgers had two aboard with no outs, and the bases loaded with two outs, but came up empty.

In the third, they had runners on second and third after back-to-back doubles from Shohei Ohtani (who had three hits on the night) and Andy Pages, but managed just one run on a Freddie Freeman grounder.After that, the Dodgers wouldn’t put another runner in scoring position.The D-backs, meanwhile, erased the early deficit on solo home runs from Tommy Troy and Nolan Arenado in the sixth and seventh innings, then a backbreaking two-run blast from Ketel Marte in the eighth.Down the stretch, a once-shaky D-backs bullpen also closed the door with three shutout innings. And suddenly, this early June series feels a little extra important.For the first time in three weeks, the Dodgers have dropped two of three games.And in both defeats, lackluster offense was to blame.It’s hardly time to worry yet, with the Dodgers still averaging nearly six runs per game during a 14...