Dodgers Walk Off Paul Sewald and the Diamondbacks 6-5

The D-backs lose a heartbreaker in which they came back in the game twice but blew leads twice as well.

Jul 2, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk off hit to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks in bottom of the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Torey Lovullo, Brent Strom, and Jeff Banister huddled in the Diamondbacks dugout in the bottom of the ninth with their team clinging to a 5-4 lead. They urgently debated a critical decision. Should they pitch to Freddie Freeman with two outs and the tying run on second base with first base open?

The decision was made to have closer Paul Sewald pitch to Freeman, and they got burned. Sewald threw an 0-2 sweeper on the outer edge up the plate, but up, and Freeman pulled the ball to the right centerfield gap to score the tying run. Sewald then left an 0-1 fastball in the middle of the plate to Teoscar Hernandez who ripped a walk off single into left, givng the Dodgers a 6-5 victory.

It was Sewald's first blown save of the season, and just the second and third runs he's allowed in this his 19th game. Sewald had just struck out Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani, and the D-backs were just one out away from a rare comeback victory.

The game began with Dodgers starter Bobby Miller throwing three no-hit innings but walking two, as he frequently fell behind hitters. Meanwhile, "Opener" Joe Mantiply gave up a leadoff double to Shohei Ohtani to start the bottom of the first. Two outs later Ryne Nelson came in and gave up a hit to Hernandez to drive in Ohtani.

The Dodgers got another run in third inning, but Nelson was pitching well. He managed to record 15 outs, pitching all the way into the sixth inning with two outs before being lifted. He gave up six hits and just one walk while striking out three.

The D-backs got back in the game thanks to Christian Walker's two-run homer in the fourth inning off Miller. It was his 18th homer of the year and his 15th in Dodger Stadium in his career.

There is a reason Christian Walker told us Dodger Stadium is his favorite road park

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— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) July 3, 2024

The D-backs took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 7th thanks to Ketel Marte's RBI single driving in Geraldo Perdomo.

The Dodgers came right back however in the bottom half of the inning. Justin Martinez issued a leadoff walk to Gavin Lux, and paid the price for that mistake.

The next batter was Ohtani and Martinez threw him a 1-0 slider that was up on the inner half of the plate. The Japanese superstar did what he does, crushing the pitch 433 feet into the right field bleachers for his NL leading 27th home run. That put the Dodgers back in front 4-3.

That was the first home run Martinez has given up all year. He had a 0.36 ERA through his first 14 games, but has now given up runs in three of his last six games. Some regression was to be expected, but he still has a 1.69 ERA.

The D-backs tied it back up in the 8th. Jake McCarthy came off the bench to pinch hit for Eugenio Suarez. He put down a bunt up the first base line and beat the throw for a base hit. Blake Treinen threw the ball into right field allowing Gabriel Moreno to come all the way around from first to score on the play.

Then in the top of the ninth inning Joc Pederson hit a line shot off Alex Vesia just inside the foul pole in right to put the D-backs up 5-4.

Joc was going for this all might a d finally got one

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— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) July 3, 2024

It looked like the D-backs were finally going to win a game in which they had fallen behind by two or more runs. Alas, it was not to be. They're now 1-39 in games in which they fall behind by multiple runs at any point in the game.

This was the first of 13 games in13 days for Arizona and a brutal way to start their road trip. The D-backs drop back to 41-44 with the loss. They're three games back of the Padres for the third NL Wild Card position with the Giants and the Mets between them and San Diego. Standings

Game two of the series is Wednesday night at 7:10 P.M. Cristian Mena is expected to make his major league debut. He'll be opposed by Gavin Stone who is 9-2 with a 2.73 ERA