In 2006, the Los Angeles Dodgers looked to improve their record from 2005. The team switched General Managers from Paul DePodesta to Ned Colletti, and hired Grady Little as the new manager. This was also their first season to be broadcast on KCAL-TV (9). The Dodgers won 88 games and the National League wild card. In the first round of the playoffs the Dodgers dropped three straight games to the New York Mets, ending their season. This was the last time the Dodgers were swept in the postseason until 2023.
Offseason
December 13, 2005: Acquired Andre Ethier from the Oakland Athletics for Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez. December 19, 2005: Signed free agent Nomar Garciaparra. January 4, 2006: Acquired Jae Seo and Tim Hamulack from the New York Mets for Duaner Sánchez and Steve Schmoll. January 14, 2006: Acquired Danys Báez and Lance Carter from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Edwin Jackson and Chuck Tiffany.
Regular season
Season standings
National League West
Record vs. opponents
Game log
|- style="background: #fbb;" | 1 || April 3 || Atlanta Braves || 11-10 || Villarreal (1-0) || Lowe (0-1) || Reitsma (1) || 56,000 || 0-1 |- style="background: #bfb;" | 2 || April 4 || Atlanta Braves || 4-5 || Penny (1-0) || Smoltz (0-1) || Báez (1) || 36,249 || 1-1 |- style="background: #fbb;" | 3 || April 5 || Atlanta Braves || 9-8 || Villarreal (2-0) || Osoria (0-1) || Reitsma (2) || 35,292 || 1-2 |- style="background: #bfb;" | 4 || April 7 || @ Philadelphia Phillies || 5-3 || Tomko (1-0) || Floyd (0-1) || Báez (2) || 25,518 || 2-2 |- style="background: #bbb;" | -- || April 8 || @ Philadelphia Phillies || 3:05pm ||colspan=5| PPD, RAIN; rescheduled for April 9 |- style="background: #fbb;" | 5 || April 9 || @ Philadelphia Phillies || 3-6 || Gordon (1-1) || Hamulack (0-1) || None || – || 2-3 |- style="background: #bfb;" | 6 || April 9 || @ Philadelphia Phillies || 6-2 || Penny (2-0) || Lieber (0-2) || None || 38,056 || 3-3 |- style="background: #bfb;" | 7 || April 10 || @ Pittsburgh Pirates || 8-3 || Pérez (1-0) || Duke (0-1) || None || 39,129 || 4-3 |- style="background: #fbb;" | 8 || April 11 || @ Pittsburgh Pirates || 6-7 || Torres (1-1) || Carter (0-1) || Gonzalez (1) || 17,240 || 4-4 |- style="background: #fbb;" | 9 || April 12 || @ Pittsburgh Pirates || 5-9 || Torres (2-1) || Kuo (0-1) || None || 13,237 || 4-5 |- style="background: #bfb;" | 10 || April 13 || @ Pittsburgh Pirates || 13-5 || Lowe (1-1) || Pérez (0-2) || None || 18,134 || 5-5 |- style="background: #fbb;" | 11 || April 14 || San Francisco Giants || 2-1 || Wright || Kuo (0-2) || Worrell (4) || 45,940 || 5-6 |- style="background: #bfb;" | 12 || April 15 || San Francisco Giants || 1-3 || Pérez (2-0) || Schmidt (0-2) || Báez (3) || 55,132 || 6-6 |- style="background: #fbb;" | 13 || April 16 || San Francisco Giants || 2-0 || Hennessey (1-0) || Seo (0-1) || Worrell (5) || 47,024 || 6-7 |- style="background: #fbb;" | 14 || April 17 || Chicago Cubs || 4-1 || Maddux (3-0) || Tomko (1-1) || Dempster (3) || 33,551 || 6-8 |- style="background: #bfb;" | 15 || April 18 || Chicago Cubs || 1-2 || Saito (1-0) || Ohman (1-1) || None || 37,340 || 7-8 |- style="background: #fbb;" | 16 || April 19 || Chicago Cubs || 5-4 || Williamson (2-0) || Báez (0-1) || Dempster (4) || 41,288 || 7-9 |- style="background: #bfb;" | 17 || April 21 || Arizona Diamondbacks || 3-6 || Pérez (3-0) || Hernandez (1-3) || Daez (4) || 44,294 || 8-9 |- style="background: #fbb;" | 18 || April 22 || Arizona Diamondbacks || 5-4 || Batista (2-0) || Seo (0-2) || Valverde (3) || 51,878 || 8-10 |- style="background: #bfb;" | 19 || April 23 || Arizona Diamondbacks || 4-6 || Tomko (2-1) || Ortiz (0-3) || Báez (5) || 48,394 || 9-10 |- style="background: #bfb;" | 20 || April 24 || @ Houston Astros || 6-2 || Saito (2-0) || Lidge (0-1) || Báez (6) || 28,382 || 10-10 |- style="background: #fbb;" | 21 || April 25 || @ Houston Astros || 3-4 || Astacio (2-0) || Kuo (0-3) || None || 30,451 || 10-11 |- style="background: #fbb;" | 22 || April 26 || @ Houston Astros || 5-8 || Rodríguez (4-0) || Pérez (3-1) || None || 32,874 || 10-12 |- style="background: #bfb;" | 23 || April 28 || @ San Diego Padres || 3-0 || Seo (1-2) || Young (2-2) || Báez (7) || 36,435 || 11-12 |- style="background: #bfb;" | 24 || April 29 || @ San Diego Padres || 4-2 || Tomko (3-1) || Hensley (1-2) || Báez (8) || 44,337 || 12-12 |- style="background: #fbb;" | 25 || April 30 || @ San Diego Padres || 5-6 || Linebrink (2-2) || Hamulack (0-2) || None || 38,116 || 12-13