Dodgers Suffer Walk-off Loss to Diamondbacks

PHOENIX – It was quite the game. The Dodgers fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 in a walk-off loss, despite holding a 2-0 lead going into the eighth inning.

The decisive moment came when Ketel Marte sent Tanner Scott’s first fastball soaring into left field.

The ball soared 431 feet, and Marte’s swing clocked in at an impressive 113 miles per hour.

This marked the Dodgers’ bullpen’s collapse, as they conceded three runs in the last two innings, wasting their earlier advantage.

Will Klein struggled in the eighth, giving up a go-ahead home run to Corbin Carroll and walking Gabriel Moreno, which allowed Ryan Waldschmidt to single.

Relief pitcher Alex Beshear then came on, only to see Gerardo Perdomo single to center field and tie the score.

The Dodgers had taken the lead in a rather unfortunate way, though. In the fifth inning, with two outs, Max Muncy hit a ground ball that Arizona’s first baseman, Ildemaro Vargas, attempted to field near the bag. An intense collision followed as Vargas rushed to first base, with Muncy charging at him.

Muncy landed a step ahead, reaching for an infield single.

And then, they collided—both players hit the ground hard and stayed down for several minutes before resuming play. The Dodgers reported that Muncy experienced shortness of breath and was assessed for a possible concussion.

Despite the chaos, Muncy’s effort allowed the next batter, Ryan Ward, to hit a line drive into the right field bleachers. A misplay by Corbin Carroll let the ball sail over his head, allowing pinch runner Santiago Espinal to score. Dalton Rushing followed up with a single, helping starting pitcher Justin Roblewski maintain a scoreless inning and push the score to 2-0.

Unfortunately, the Dodgers couldn’t stabilize after Klein’s misstep in the eighth.

In the ninth, Will Smith hit a double with two outs, but Espinal struck out against Diamondbacks closer Paul Swald, leaving Smith stranded.

Scott, filling in as the Dodgers’ closer due to Edwin Diaz’s injury, couldn’t extend the game as Marte’s home run flew out of the park, leading to a split in their last four matchups.

Who Is Hot

Wrobleski is on an upward trajectory this season, pitching at least six shutout innings for the fourth time, bringing his ERA down to 2.62.

In his second straight appearance, he averaged 95.6 mph with his fastball. He opted for a pitch-to-contact strategy this time, racking up only four strikeouts but effectively navigating tricky situations, including halting runners at the corners during the first and third innings.

His most significant challenge came late in the game, as a double from Ryan Waldschmidt put two on base. He managed to get Pavin Smith to ground out, aided by catcher Dalton Rushing, who turned a 2-0 count into an 0-2 situation with back-to-back challenges.

Who Is Not

With Shohei Ohtani taking a break after a stellar two-way performance, Mookie Betts moved to the front of the batting order.

However, this switch didn’t spark much change for Betts, who went 0-for-4 in this game, and saw his batting average dip to .183.

Next Up

The Dodgers are heading home for a weekend series against the Angels, starting Friday night with Roki Sasaki (3-3, 4.59 ERA) opposing left-handed pitcher Reid Detmers (2-5, 4.63 ERA).