CHICAGO — The Dodgers have developed a bad habit over the past week.

And on Sunday, in a 6-4 loss to the White Sox, it cost them their first series loss in more than a month.

Entering the sixth inning at Rate Field with a one-run lead, the Dodgers appeared to be safely in control. Their offense hadn’t scored since Freddie Freeman’s home run in the first inning. But Emmet Sheehan had been almost flawless over five innings, allowing four hits and recording eight strikeouts.

Dodgers starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan struck out eight in five innings. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Alas, as has been the case recently, the Dodgers couldn’t find an answer once things began to spiral.

In a six-run inning keyed by three back-breaking home runs, they watched an opponent put just the latest crooked number up on the scoreboard.

“I definitely felt better early,” Sheehan said. “And then, yeah, more of the same toward the end. Just pretty frustrating.”

It was the fifth time in their last seven games that the Dodgers had allowed at least four runs in an inning. It was the fourth time out of those five games that they were unable to rally and salvage a win.

The implosion started with Sheehan, who gave up a leadoff home run to Sam Antonacci on a high 0-2 fastball that didn’t climb the ladder enough. Two batters later, he was chased from the game following an RBI double from Andrew Benintendi. Then, as soon as he got back to the dugout, he watched his replacement, Jack Dreyer, yield a two-run homer to Colson Montgomery.

“They got to a couple heaters,” said bench coach Danny Lehmann, who filled in for manager Dave Roberts while he was away at his daughter’s college graduation. “And it kind of spiraled from there.”

Indeed, Dreyer would give up another two-run shot, this time to Chase Meidroth, before finally recording the inning’s first out.

And by the time it was all over, the Dodgers were too far gone for a comeback — clawing within two runs after scoring in each of the final three innings but ending the game with the tying runs on base.

Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was 0-for-2 with two walks. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

What it means

Just like on Friday night (when the White Sox won on the back of a seven-run fifth), and Wednesday night (when the Pirates stormed back with a five-run eighth) and last Sunday (when the Angels pulled away with a six-spot in the seventh), the Dodgers capitulated beneath an inability to limit slug or contain damage, with a recently scuffling bullpen looming large once again.

“We’ve gotten bit by the long ball, obviously in Pittsburgh, and here tonight,” Lehmann said. “But overall, it’s more the strike throwing and just getting ahead of guys and doing what they’re supposed to do.”

The loss left the Dodgers (45-27) with a .500 record on this Pittsburgh-Chicago road trip and marked their first series defeat since the MLB-leading Braves came to Los Angeles in early May.

The upstart and first-place White Sox (38-32) have been an unexpectedly tricky opponent, with Dodgers coaches repeatedly praising their energy and athleticism this week.

Still, Sunday’s game should have been winnable. Instead, the team’s latest ugly inning came back to haunt them, as their ninth-inning comeback flamed out with runners on the corners.

Who’s hot

Mookie Betts’ weekend will be remembered for the perfect-game-snapping error he made Saturday.

But at the plate, the scuffling shortstop finally showed some life, following up a three-hit performance on Saturday with two more knocks — including an eighth-inning homer — in Sunday’s loss.

As a result, Betts raised his batting average to .204, marking the first time since the opening weekend of the season he has finished a day hitting over .200.

“I think over the last three or four games, Mookie’s been trending the right way, for sure,” Lehmann said. “Just the quality of contact is way up. Even some of his outs in this series were really good, really hard-hit barreled balls to the outfield. So it’s really encouraging for us, for Mookie, to get back to where I know he wants to be, and we all know that he can be there.”

Who’s not

After a promising rookie season in 2025, and a strong couple months to open this campaign, June has not been friendly to Dreyer, especially when it comes to keeping the ball in the park.

With Sunday’s pair of long balls, Dreyer has now allowed five home runs in seven appearances this month.

That has nearly doubled his ERA on the season, from 2.08 at the end of May to 3.77 after Sunday’s meltdown.

And it has made him one of many culprits for the Dodgers’ recent bullpen struggles, after the unit already entered Sunday with the third-highest ERA in the majors during June.

Up next

The Dodgers return home on Monday to open a series against the Rays. Eric Lauer (2-5, 5.47 ERA) will take the mound opposite right-hander Nick Martinez (6-2, 2.43 ERA).

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