by Megan Garcia
Excitement was expected during this four-game set between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. Those expectations have been met two games in.
This time, the Dodgers are the ones celebrating a thrilling win at Chase Field. Shohei Ohtani capped off the theatrics of a six-run ninth that pulled the Dodgers out of a three-run deficit. Their 14–11 victory over the Diamondbacks on Friday embodied the Dodgers’ relentless attitude.
Five lead changes, 25 runs and 26 hits sum up the seesaw efforts between two teams encountering their first bout of high-level talent in the division.
“It was a really great game,” Ohtani said. “It’s not the kind of game we play a lot, but for us to score a lot, for them to come back (and) for us to come back again, it was a lot. It was a game with a lot of passion.”
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The Dodgers’ strong start forced Arizona’s bullpen to be in by the third inning.
Eight earned runs against D-backs starter Eduardo Rodriguez, who declined a trade with the Dodgers in 2023 as a member of the Tigers, had the Dodgers leading 8–3 through the third.
Los Angeles jumped to a 1–0 lead with Freddie Freeman’s sacrifice fly in the first. A pair of homers by the D-backs against Roki Sasaki had the Dodgers trailing 3–1. They tied it in the second with a homer by Kiké Hernandez and an RBI double by Ohtani.
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By the third, things were clicking for the Dodger lineup. They had 11 batters reach the plate to load the bases three times and score five runs on four hits and three walks.
After that electric five-run inning, 15 of the next 17 Dodger batters were retired in order.
The Dodger bullpen, which leads baseball with 169 innings pitched, had trouble holding back the D-backs. Arizona scored eight unanswered runs between the fourth and eighth innings.
“It’s a tough game to get up that much and then lose that lead,” Max Muncy said, who went 1-for-2 off the bench.
“It’s just a tough job. We did our best to string together (a win). It’s really fun to watch and be a part of it.” Muncy continued.
Four of those runs came against Anthony Banda on a grand slam by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the fifth. Alex Vesia gave up two homers in the eighth to Ketel Marte and Randal Grichuk. Arizona commanded an 11–8 lead entering the ninth.
“It’s a tough, gritty team,” said manager Dave Roberts. “You’ve got to strap in every time you play those guys. They don’t quit; we don’t quit. It was good to see us persevere tonight.”
And that’s when the Dodger offense clicked again.
Hits by Freeman (single), Andy Pages (RBI double), Hernández (RBI double) and Muncy (RBI single) to start the frame tied it 11–11 without an out.
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The line kept moving after James Outman’s strikeout and Mookie Betts’ flyout. Michael Conforto’s hit by pitch put runners on first and second for Ohtani, who had a .263 career batting average with two outs.
Four pitches against Ryan Thompson were all the designated hitter needed to change the game. Ohtani raised his arms in triumph as his bat flipped toward the visiting dugout; the 11–11 tie was over. His three-run homer was the final blow.
The Dodgers had their 13th comeback win of the season within reach. Tanner Scott sealed it with a scoreless ninth.
Sasaki’s Shaky Stretch
The right-hander gave up five earned runs in four innings against the Diamondbacks. The lone batter he faced in the fifth reached on a walk and scored on Gurriel Jr.’s grand slam.
Sasaki has given up 13 earned runs in 20 2/3 innings over his last four starts.
His lack of command was an issue for him against the Diamondbacks. He gave up two homers, issued two walks and had a hit by pitch. Sasaki threw 61 pitches (43) without recording a strikeout.
Ohtani’s homer brings final blow to wild game against D-backs was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.