The Arizona Diamondbacks have played more games against the Los Angeles Dodgers than any other National League West opponent has this season. And they consistently made life difficult for the division leaders.

Arizona finished with 7-6 record in the season series against Los Angeles, giving the Diamondbacks more victories against the Dodgers than any other National League West team.

Despite being swept at Dodger Stadium to begin the season, the Diamondbacks have responded by becoming a persistent problem for Los Angeles throughout the year.

Arizona has twice beaten the Dodgers on walk-off hits and even swept them in Los Angeles right before the All-Star break.

The Diamondbacks are not simply an underdog occasionally catching one of MLB’s strongest teams on a bad night.

Arizona currently occupies a postseason position and has been one of the National League’s hottest teams since the All-Star break.

Still, the Diamondbacks seemingly caused more problems for MLB’s most highly regarded roster than many other opponents have managed.

A significant reason has been Arizona’s execution.

Particularly this season, the Diamondbacks have played cleaner baseball in several important areas.

Their pitching staff misses key contributors like Corbin Burnes, Michael Soroka, and A.J. Puk, but it has delivered as a whole, with progress evident in both the starting rotation and bullpen.

Arizona has also played sharper defense, limiting the additional opportunities that can prove especially costly against a Dodgers lineup filled with superstar hitters.

There have been occasional problems with situational offense, but the Diamondbacks have generally avoided giving Los Angeles unnecessary help.

There is also an edge to the way Arizona approaches games against the Dodgers.

When most people gives the Diamondbacks little chance of winning a series against Los Angeles, Arizona has consistently responded with a different mentality.

That attitude is not new.

The Diamondbacks displayed it during the 2023 postseason, when they swept an admittedly weaker Dodgers team out of the National League Division Series.

Three years later, Arizona continues showing that it will not be intimidated by Los Angeles.

The Diamondbacks’ greatest quality in this matchup has been their ability to remain composed against a team capable of overwhelming opponents quickly.

Rather than becoming distracted by the Dodgers’ reputation or star power, Arizona has consistently approached these games with confidence.

Arizona has also demonstrated resilience. Being swept in Los Angeles to begin the season could have established an unfavorable pattern. However, the Diamondbacks responded by winning consistently against the Dodgers afterward.

That mentality matters for a team with postseason ambitions. Arizona already knows it can compete with Los Angeles when the stakes are highest because of what happened in 2023.

The Dodgers have steamrolled plenty of opponents this season. The Diamondbacks repeatedly refused to become one of them.