Snapshots: Dodger homestand ends with a winning bang

Will Smith’s ninth-inning home run gave the Dodgers a 5–4 victory over Arizona on Aug. 31. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

by Mark Langill

The Dodgers remained atop the National League West standings after a 4–2 homestand from Aug. 25–31 against the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks.

After becoming the first Major League team in 2025 to sweep the Reds in a series, the Dodgers barely avoided the broom themselves. They lost the first two games of the series against the Diamondbacks and squandered a 4–1 lead on Aug. 31 when Corbin Carroll hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning.

Will Smith provided the happy ending for Los Angeles with a walk-off home run in the ninth off Arizona left-hander John Curtiss in the ninth inning.

The Dodgers, who today open a six-game road trip in Pittsburgh and Baltimore, clinched a winning August (15–13) for the 13th consecutive season since 2013.

On Aug. 25, Emmet Sheehan pitched a career-high seven innings in a 9–0 victory over Cincinnati on Aug. 25. Sheehan also tied a career high with 10 strikeouts. (Carrie Giordano/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Andy Pages hit two home runs on Aug. 25, his second career multi-homer game. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

On Aug. 26, Clayton Kershaw allowed one run in five innings and improved his record to 9–2 after the Dodgers’ 6–3 victory. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

On Aug. 26, Freddie Freeman recorded his 34th double of the season and the 542nd of his career. (Nick Tomoyasu/Los Angeles Dodgers)

On Aug. 26, Kiké Hernández went 2-for-3 with a run and RBI in his first game back since July 5. (Nick Tomoyasu/Los Angeles Dodgers)

On Aug. 27, Shohei Ohtani allowed one run on two hits in five innings for his first victory with the Dodgers. He struck out a season-high nine batters. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Hernández two-run single on Aug. 27 highlighted the Dodgers’ four-run fourth inning as the Dodgers beat the Reds, 5–1. (Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

After the Reds intentionally walked Miguel Rojas to load the bases, Dalton Rushing stroked a two-run single to cap the Dodgers’ four-run fourth inning on Aug. 27. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

On Aug. 27, Michael Conforto hit his first home run against a left-hander this season on Aug. 27. His 10th home run traveled 419 feet to right center field. (Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Shortstop Mookie Betts had the Dodgers’ only extra-base hit on Aug. 29 during a 3–0 loss against Arizona. Betts doubled in the sixth inning, his 18th of the season. (Carrie Giordano/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed one run on four hits in seven innings on Aug. 31. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Smith’s fifth career walk-off home run gave the Dodgers a 5–4 victory on Aug. 31. The 420-foot home run was his eighth career walk-off hit. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers) and (Carrie Giordano/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Snapshots: Dodger homestand ends with a winning bang was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.