Los Angeles. The Dodgers finally found a night to release some of the pressure by defeating the Kansas City Royals 6–5 in a dramatic game at Dodger Stadium.

The victory was even more special because the man standing on the mound to protect a narrow lead in the ninth inning was Edwin Díaz, the closer who had just gone through some of his most difficult days since returning.

Díaz entered the game under considerable pressure after two consecutive blown saves against the Arizona Diamondbacks, at a time when the Dodgers had lost eight of nine games.

Those defeats turned his role as closer into a subject of debate, particularly after Díaz surrendered a walk off home run in the first game in Arizona.

Dave Roberts continued to stand behind the veteran closer, publicly reaffirming that Díaz remained the Dodgers’ choice for decisive situations in the ninth inning.

And on Monday night, that faith was finally rewarded.

The Dodgers entered the final inning with only a one run lead, meaning there was virtually no room for any mistake.

Díaz did not allow the pressure to linger. He retired all three Kansas City hitters in order to complete a perfect ninth inning.

No walks, no hits and no additional moment of chaos. Díaz closed out the 6–5 victory and earned his first save of August.

That moment meant more than an ordinary save for a pitcher who had faced a series of questions about his form since returning from elbow surgery.

In his previous appearances, Díaz had allowed five runs in four innings, causing the criticism to grow louder as the Dodgers continued to lose.

But behind those difficult days, Díaz always received encouragement from one special person in the clubhouse.

That person was Shohei Ohtani, the biggest icon of the Dodgers and one of the most influential voices in the Los Angeles clubhouse.

Ohtani was described as someone who regularly reminded Díaz that a few difficult games could not define the overall ability of a closer who had been selected to the All Star team three times.

After completing the save against the Royals, Díaz finally allowed his emotions to come out.

“The last few days have been really difficult. When people started doubting me, he was the one who always came over and reminded me that I was still myself. He never allowed me to lose confidence. I will never forget that. This save belongs to the team, but my thanks belong to him.”

It was a special message inside a clubhouse that had just endured a stretch of games that repeatedly tested the confidence of the defending champions.

Ohtani did not need to stand on the mound alongside Díaz in the ninth inning to make an impact. In this story, his support appeared during the moments when there were no cameras or cheering fans.

The Dodgers now have a 71–48 record, but more importantly, they may have rediscovered some of the stability they need for the next stage of the season.

For Díaz, the perfect ninth inning was the first step toward answering the doubts through his own performance.