PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers games at Chase Field are always the hottest tickets in the Valley, and this weekend’s series proved how much fans can help shift the momentum.
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Aug 7, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (left) celebrates with Jorge Barrosa after robbing a home run in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
From Friday to Sunday, fans from both teams filled the stadium, with a sea of Dodger blue and Sedona red apparent even to those watching from home. Every play came with a roar from the crowd, and it felt like both teams were already in the midst of a playoff series.
It’s no question fans have grown used to a sort of “rivalry” between the Snakes and the defending champions, but this series felt like an even bigger chapter in that rivalry. The Dodgers were looking to bounce back from a turbulent start to August, while the Diamondbacks looked to keep pace in the National League wild-card race.
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) waits in the outfield against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a game at Chase Field in Phoenix on Aug. 8, 2026. Credits: Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
This weekend’s series ended in Arizona’s favor, with the D-Backs taking two out of three from Los Angeles and winning the season series 7-6 for the first time since 2018. With each win came joy from the fan base, both at Chase Field and online.
That support didn’t go unnoticed by manager Torey Lovullo, who acknowledged the fans in his postgame presser. He felt the energy brought by supporters, even against one of the top teams in baseball and a division rival.
Torey Lovullo with a shoutout to D-backs fans:
“They’ve been present, and they’ve been posting up, and it’s been great… I always judge a seventh inning stretch, ‘D-backs’ or ‘Dodgers.’ … I heard more D-backs over Dodgers. So they brought it. I love our fans. We need them.”
— Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) August 9, 2026
“They’ve been present, and they’ve been posting up, and it’s been great,” Lovullo said, according to Diamondbacks on SI’s Alex D’Agostino. “… I always judge a seventh-inning stretch, ‘D-Backs’ or ‘Dodgers.’ … I heard more D-Backs over Dodgers. So they brought it. I love our fans. We need them.”
And that’s why this series mattered beyond the standings.
The Diamondbacks didn’t just take two games from the defending champions — they showed what Chase Field can feel like when the fan base is fully behind them. With the wild-card race tightening and every game carrying more weight, having that kind of energy at home could become a difference-maker down the stretch.
An Arizona Diamondbacks fan cheers them on as they tie the game in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a game at Chase Field in Phoenix on Aug. 8, 2026. Credits: Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The rivalry with Los Angeles isn’t going away, and the postseason is still up for grabs. But if this weekend proved anything, it’s how much those who aren’t even on the field still play an enormous part in Arizona’s playoff push.
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Wendy Lopez is a reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on her X account, @wlopezde
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