The Dodgers (69-47) dropped their seventh straight game to the D-backs (62-55) Friday night. They still have yet to notch a win in the month of August. Despite a solid six-inning start from Roki Sasaki, a big night from Tommy Edman with the game-tying hit, and a huge Andy Pages homer, the Dodgers once again missed scoring opportunities, slacked defensively, and couldn’t trust their bullpen with a lead late in the game.
After the Dodgers clawed back to take a 3-2 lead, Edwin Diaz served up the walk-off
home run to Ryan Waldschmidt to give the Snakes the 4-3 victory.
Everything seems to go wrong when you’re in a six-game losing streak. Merill Kelly had five no-hit innings with four strikeouts against a team he’s o-11 against in the regular season until he left the game with an injury.
Nolan Arenado got the D-backs on the board first with a solo home run off a Sasaki fastball right down the middle. Teoscar Hernandez almost was able to get his glove on the ball to no avail.
Edman nearly tied it up with a home run of his own in the top of the third, but Corbin Caroll completed the robbery with a leaping catch over the right field wall.
Shohei Ohtani walked and attempted to steal second with two outs, but top NL catcher Gabriel Moreno mowed him down. It was Ohtani’s first stolen base attempt since May.
The D-backs added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Tim Tawa walked and stole second. Arizona took advantage. Geraldo Perdomo collected his second extra-base base hit of the day. The RBI triple to center field and a bobbling Andy Pages on defense brought in the second run of the game for the Snakes.
The Kelly no-hitter bid ended in the top of the sixth thanks to an infield single by Edman. More bad base running doomed the Dodgers. Edman was picked off first base after the D-backs won a challenge. That mistake proved costly almost instantly, because Hunter Feduccia singled in the next at-bat.
Ohtani and Pages drew consecutive walks to load the bases for the hottest hitter in the lineup. Freddie Freeman is surprisingly hitless on the season with the bases loaded.
Freeman ran out a fielder’s choice on a grounder to bring home Feduccia and put the Dodgers on the board. Kelly came out of the game thereafter with an injury.
Betts got one past Arenado, a rare feat, into left field for a leadoff base hit in the top of the seventh against Arizona reliever Taylor Clarke. Tucker hit a laser right to Marte at second base who unsuccessfully tried to snare it. Teoscar Hernandez, with a golden scoring opportunity, popped the first pitch up that he saw.
Edman finally came up with a clutch hit. The RBI single poked to center tied the game 2-2.
Dave Roberts pinch-hit for Feduccia with the left-handed hitting Miguel Rojas versus lefty Brandyn Garcia. On an 0-2 pitch, Rojas singled to load the bases for Ohtani.
Pages crushed the first pitch of the eighth inning against Garcia for a huge 425-ft. go-ahead home run to make it 3-2 in favor of the Dodgers.
Arizona kept doubling with two outs against Dodgers pitching. After he retired the first two batters of the inning, the D-backs shifted the momentum of the inning in their favor. Moreno doubled with two outs against Tanner Scott. Ketel Marte was intentionally walked. Ildemaro Vargas, pinch-hitter, walked to load the bases for Arenado.
Arenado waged a battle at the plate going 3-2, but after 12 pitches Scott struck him out swinging to preserve the one-run lead.
Edwin Diaz walked Max Kepler to open the bottom of the ninth. Tawa struck out. Then the other shoe dropped. Ryan Waldschmidt hit a two-run walk-off home run on a Diaz slider to hand the Dodgers their seventh straight loss.
Friday particulars
Home runs: Andy Pages (19); Nolan Arenado (17), Ryan Waldschmidt (2)
WP — Kevin Ginkel (5-3): 1 IP, 2 strikeouts
LP — Edwin Diaz (1-1): Gave up walk-off home run
Up next
Yoshinobu Yamamoto ( 11-7, 2.76 ERA, 0.88 WHIP) starts the second game of the series at (5:10 p.m., SportsNet LA). Brandon Pfaadt (6-1, 3.66 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) counters for the D-backs.
