PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks were three outs away from a comeback, marquee victory, but the Los Angeles Dodgers walked off the field 14-11 winners on Friday.
The D-backs overcame an 8-3 deficit, storming back on a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. game-tying grand slam in the fifth and a go-ahead walk by Eugenio Suarez in the sixth. Ketel Marte hit two home runs, the Dodgers were shut down from innings 4-8 and Arizona went into the ninth inning ahead 11-8.
“Beat L.A.” chants drowned out the many Dodger fans at sold-out Chase Field, which had a real buzz all night with over 49,000 in attendance. The Diamondbacks — despite a month-plus of uneven performances — were set to take the second game in a row against their first-place division rivals.
Rapidly, seemingly in a just few moments, the Dodgers had roared back with six runs in the ninth inning. A statement win for the D-backs became another feather in the cap of Shohei Ohtani, who crushed the go-ahead, three-run home run off Ryan Thompson after Kevin Ginkel blew the save.
“ I felt like we should have won that game,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “We did enough to win that game. I don’t wanna sugarcoat it. I’m frustrated enough because we had everything lined up the way we wanted. We got out-executed. That bothers me. I believe enough in our team to go out there in the right situation, at the right time and execute at a high level to win those games.”
Add this one to a growing list of heart-wrenching defeats, right below their loss at Wrigley Field despite scoring 10 runs in an inning and dropping a game to Atlanta in which Eugenio Suarez homered four times.
The Diamondbacks scored 29 runs in those three games. They’ve scored 11 runs three times this season and are 1-2.
Their bullpen is banged up, with Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk on the injured list, and it has been a struggle to make that up.
“We did some incredible things tonight and it’s a loss in the standings and that sucks,” Thompson said. “It sucks to have a big part in that.”
Torey Lovullo credits the Diamondbacks’ offense for battling back despite a loss to the Dodgers. pic.twitter.com/dtQFSHpznE
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In a game as grand as this was, one with five lead changes and the win probability pendulum swing all over the place, there were plenty of positives and negatives to take away from the Diamondbacks.
Negative: 9th-inning collapse
The ninth inning got away really quickly. Ginkel entered for the save and gave up four straight hits to tie the game. It only took 11 pitches.
The Diamondbacks have 12 saves and eight blown saves this season, tied for the most blown saves in the National League.
Thompson entered the game with two men on and one out to face Ohtani. He worked ahead 1-2 and then delivered a splitter down in the strike zone. Thompson said it popped out of his hand, Lovullo called it the wrong pitch for that moment.
Ohtani unloaded on the pitch, throwing the bat and his hands in the air as the ball traveled 426 feet.
“If I could go back, I would change it too,” Thompson said. “In the moment, I was convicted in throwing it and that’s the pitch you gotta throw.”
SHOHEI OHTANI FOR THE LEAD IN THE 9TH! pic.twitter.com/rfQc0wAcDE
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Thompson said he was devastated after the game. Ginkel took a moment in the dugout to reflect and gather his thoughts after the final out.
“We play these guys a lot,” Ginkel said. “The fans want it, we want it. They’re a good team. It stinks that I have to tip my cap to them, but they got me today. Tomorrow will be a new day.”
The Diamondbacks will have to regroup, because this series is only halfway through. And they will see the Dodgers again in Los Angeles a week after its over.
Positive: Diamondbacks’ offense takes on Answerbacks identity
The Diamondbacks’ offense showed a lot of fight, not only with slug but how it built innings. They finished with 11 hits, five home runs and six walks.
Marte, Gurriel, Suarez and Randal Grichuk all went yard. And they did this on a quiet night for Corbin Carroll, who went 0-for-5.
Down 8-4 in the fifth inning, the D-backs worked the bases loaded with a single and a couple walks to set up Gurriel, who hit the second D-backs grand slam in as many games. That hasn’t happened since 2011.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. GRAND SLAM!
And it’s all tied up! pic.twitter.com/SclT4uwf44
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“We showed how we play this game,” Suarez said. “We let them know that it’s not gonna be easy for them to come here and win it.”
In the sixth, a single and a couple walks reloaded the bases for Suarez, who worked a nine-pitch plate appearance with four foul balls. The final pitch was borderline, and Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior was ejected for arguing soon after, but it was a heck of an at-bat.
Negative: Eduardo Rodriguez ineffective vs. Dodgers
Starter Eduardo Rodriguez had a brutal night, giving up eight runs without getting out of the third inning. He’s allowed eight earned runs in two of his last three games.
He pointed to command issues that cost him, as he gave the Dodgers too many looks at pitches to drive, and they did.
“It’s frustrating that our hitters did their job, scored 11 runs out there and we gave up 14,” Rodriguez said. “So it’s disappointing for us as a pitching staff, especially for me as a starter who goes out there for 2.2 innings.”
He wasn’t helped by a Josh Naylor throwing error in the third inning which scored a run. Lovullo thought Naylor should have taken the out at first base instead of rushing a throw home.
Positive: Mena, Beeks and Miller
The bullpen immediately after Rodriguez exited was fantastic. Cristian Mena, a 22-year-old prospect on the team to provide length in case of emergencies, entered an impossible situation with the bases loaded, two outs and Freddie Freeman up.
Freeman entered the game hitting .464 with runners in scoring position, and he doubled earlier in the inning off Rodriguez. Mena struck him out on a sweeper.
Mena threw 3.2 innings without allowing a single hit and striking out five. He entered an 8-3 game and exited with the score tied.
“My stuff was working,” Mena told Arizona Sports. “Just competing with my stuff and throwing in the zone.”
Jalen Beeks and Shelby Miller were once again reliable. Miller had the task of facing the top of the Dodgers’ order in the eighth inning, and he struck out Will Smith to end the frame.
Why didn’t he close? The bullpen was set up for him to attack that part of the batting order.
