Facing pressure to keep pace with the Colorado Rockies and maintain a 1.5-game lead in the National League West, the Los Angeles Dodgers twice erased a deficit in the late innings but nonetheless fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-3, in walk-off fashion.
Walker Buehler was tossing a shutout through five innings to preserve a 1-0 lead that was provided by Cody Bellinger’s home run in second inning. Up to that point Buehler had held the Diamondbacks to a pair of singles and a walk.
The base hits came with one out in both the first and fifth innings, and in each instance was followed by a double play. Efficiency allowed the right-hander to get through the five shutout frames on just 58 pitches.
He picked up two quick outs in the sixth inning but then ran into some trouble. A single and walk set the table for David Peralta, who gave Arizona the lead with a two-run double to center field.
Like they did for Clayton Kershaw the night prior, the Dodgers got Buehler off the hook. Yasmani Grandal led off the seventh inning with a triple, and pinch-runner Tim Locastro promptly scored the tying run on Kiké Hernandez’s base hit to center field.
However, unlike the series opener, the Dodgers were unable to take a lead. Hernandez and Justin Turner were stranded, and the Diamondbacks responded in the bottom half of the inning.
A march of relievers began with Scott Alexander, who struck out Daniel Descalso. On came Dlyan Floro, only to allow a single and double. An intentional walk to load the bases was followed by Ildemaro Vargas lining a go-ahead RBI single over Manny Machado’s leaping attempt.
Floro was removed without retiring any of the four batters faced. Alex Wood inherited the jam and managed to keep the deficit at a minimum by inducing a force out followed by a line out.
The Dodgers stranded a Machado leadoff double in the eighth but Brad Boxberger opened the door in the ninth inning and Hernandez busted through it. Following his leadoff single, Hernandez stole second base and advanced to third on Chris Stewart’s throwing error.
The additional base didn’t necessarily hurt the Diamondbacks, as Chris Taylor lined a game-tying ground-rule double into the pool area at Chase Field. Failing to cash in on Taylor’s double ultimately proved costly, and jubilation for the Dodgers with short-lived.
Kenta Maeda surrendered a walk-off home run to Eduardo Escobar, which ended the Diamondbacks’ four-game losing streak.
With the results of Tuesday’s games, the Dodgers now have just a half-game lead in the NL West and can no longer can clinch the division without playing into the final series of the regular season.
