Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani walks back to the dugout after striking out during the seventh inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani waits to bat before the first inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt throws to the plate during the first inning of a game against the Dodgers on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a fly ball out to center field during the first inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches the flight of his fly ball out during the first inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets a new baseball during the first inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt throws to the plate during the fourth inning of a game against the Dodgers on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani walks back through the dugout after hitting a fly ball out during the third inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman reaches to make a late catch as the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll, right, reaches first base safely on a fielder’s choice during the third inning on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Gabriel Moreno connects for a grand slam during the fourth inning of a game against the Dodgers on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Gabriel Moreno watches the flight of his grand slam during the fourth inning of a game against the Dodgers on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto holds a new ball after giving up a grand slam to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Gabriel Moreno, right, during the fourth inning on Thursday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Gabriel Moreno celebrates as he runs the bases after hitting a grand slam during the fourth inning of a game against the Dodgers on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Gabriel Moreno, right, celebrates with teammate Alek Thomas after hitting a grand slam during the fourth inning of a game against the Dodgers on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim tosses the ball to first base to force out the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Geraldo Perdomo during the fourth inning on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto exhales as he walks back to the dugout after retiring the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani grounds out during the fifth inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of a game against the Dodgers on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani sits with teammates in the dugout during the sixth inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Dodgers’ Hyeseong Kim, left, reacts to striking out during the seventh inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, right, takes the ball from starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt during the seventh inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Dodgers’ Kiké Hernández reacts to striking out during the seventh inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Dodgers’ Hyeseong Kim, left, reacts to striking out as Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno, right, pauses at home plate during the seventh inning on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, right, celebrates his home run with third base coach Dino Ebel as he runs the bases during the ninth inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Kevin Ginkel, right, celebrates with catcher Gabriel Moreno, right, after the final out in the ninth inning of their 5-3 victory over the Dodgers on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts talks on the field prior to a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernández warms up prior to a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim, left, and catcher Austin Barnes, right, warm up prior to a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim warms up prior to a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman warms up prior to a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts answers a question from reporters in the dugout prior to a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim gets loose prior to a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki watches from the outfield as teammates take batting practice prior to a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki walks off the field after warming up prior to a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani walks back to the dugout after striking out during the seventh inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
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PHOENIX — Talking about the start of a four-game series against the NL West rival Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday afternoon, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made this observation.
“We’ve seemed to bring out the best in them.”
And the Diamondbacks brought out the worst in Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
An early (very early) Cy Young Award frontrunner, Yamamoto gave up a grand slam to Gabriel Moreno and a solo home run to Ketel Marte as the Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers, 5-3, on Thursday night at Chase Field.
“Overall, my stuff wasn’t too bad,” Yamamoto said through his interpreter. “But the grand slam, that cost (us) the game.”
Yamamoto came into the game off his best start of the season – one hit in six scoreless innings at Atlanta last week. But he was pitching on five days of rest for the first time this season after being on a one-start-per-week schedule through the first six weeks of the season.
Yamamoto’s command was off along with his calendar. He gave up three hits in the first three innings then walked Pavin Smith to start the fourth.
Josh Naylor hit a ground ball up the middle that Mookie Betts made an outstanding play to get to – but his attempt to flip the ball to Hyeseong Kim for a force at second base went badly. When Yamamoto hit Eugenio Suarez with an 0-and-2 slider, the bases were loaded with no outs.
Moreno emptied them when Yamamoto left a 2-and-0 cutter over the heart of the plate. The opposite-field grand slam was Moreno’s first home run of the season.
“I don’t think he was as sharp as he has been,” Roberts said. “Even the 3-2 breaking ball to Pavin Smith – if he strikes that, I think it’s a different inning, a different game. He has count leverage on Suárez and hits him with a slider to load the bases.
“I honestly thought Moreno took a good swing on a 2-0 cutter. It was behind in the count. To go opposite way, really good swing. … But again, I think the story is he just wasn’t completely sharp tonight.”
Marte played just his 14th game of the season Thursday night due to a hamstring injury. So he hadn’t hit a home run either – until he lined another Yamamoto cutter into the seats for a solo home run in the fifth inning.
Yamamoto’s worst start of the season lasted just five innings. The five runs he allowed doubled his ERA in an evening, from 0.90 to 1.80. The six hits he allowed are a season-high.
Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt, meanwhile, kept the Dodgers’ offense thin. But the Dodgers did win the exit velocity consolation prize.
The Dodgers hit 10 balls with exit velocities of 100 mph or higher, seven of them as Pfaadt was holding them scoreless (95 mph is the Statcast standard for a “hard-hit ball”). None of the seven hit off Pfaadt was a hit.
Michael Conforto hit two of those – a 398-foot flyout to center field and a line drive at Marte. He hit another ball 95.2 mph on the ground that Marte turned into a rally-killing double play in the eighth inning.
“I’m definitely frustrated,” said Conforto, mired in the depths of a 1-for-40 stretch. “Happy with a couple hard-hit balls today. Frustrated to be in position to keep a rally going and not being able to beat that ball out. It’s frustrating. It makes me sick.”
Pfaadt allowed just four hits while taking a shutout into the seventh inning.
The Dodgers put runners at the corners with two outs in the first inning but Will Smith grounded out to end the inning. They did the same thing in the sixth but Pfaadt struck out Andy Pages.
“You’ve got to give credit to their defense tonight,” Roberts said. “I thought they really caught the baseball well. Certainly in the outfield. I thought we squared up a lot of baseballs and didn’t get anything to show for it. Overall, I don’t think the line score speaks to how well we swung the bats.
“But you’ve got to give credit to those guys running it down out there. And also that double play ball off Conforto’s bat was a heck of a play by Marte.”
The Dodgers finally broke through in the eighth inning against Diamondbacks reliever Juan Morillo. Singles from Betts and Smith set up an RBI double by Max Muncy and an RBI single by Pages. But Marte started a nifty double play on Conforto’s ground ball to end the inning.
Ohtani tightened things up with a solo home run in the ninth before Kevin Ginkel closed it out for the Diamondbacks.
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