Steve Webb
Game 87, 7/3/2024: Dodgers 4, Diamondbacks 12
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — You didn’t hear it from me, but the Dodgers pitching staff, so good all year, is starting to show signs of wear and tear. On Wednsday at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers got off to an early lead, only to see that lead evaporate throughout the night. In the end, Arizona Diamondbacks managed to secure an 12-4 victory, thanks to a combination of timely hitting from the D-backs offense and the sub-par performances of the Dodgers’ suddenly struggling pitching staff.
First Inning: Dodgers Take Early Lead
The Dodgers got out of the blocks quickly in this one. After the D-backs pushed across one run in the top of the first, the Dodgers unloaded on starter Cristian Mena, who was making his big league debut. Shohei Ohtani led off the inning with a single, followed quickly by a walk to Will Smith. With two ducks on the pond, Freddie Freeman delivered a three-run homer to put the Dodgers on top 3-1. Teoscar Hernandez, perhaps a little salty from his All-Star snub, clubbed a solo shot to go back to back with Freeman’s blast and to give the Dodgers a seemingly comfortable 4-1 advantage at the end of just one inning of play. And that was about the last good thing that happened in this one.
Diamondbacks Fight Back
The Diamondbacks began their comeback in the second inning. Gabriel Moreno doubled, and Geraldo Perdomo‘s single brought him to third. Eugenio Suárez‘s double then scored Moreno, followed by a two-run homer by Moreno in the third inning, tying the game at 4-4. The usually reliable Gavin Stone was just not himself in this one, lasting only three innings before giving way to the bullpen.
Dodgers’ Bullpen Falters
Unfortunately, the Dodgers’ bullpen didn’t do much better. They couldn’t contain the Diamondbacks’ offense, no matter who was on the mound. Ryan Yarbrough replaced Gavin Stone in the third inning but quickly gave up a solo home run to Christian Walker (dude, seriously?), giving the Diamondbacks a 5-4 lead. Yarbrough managed to strike out Joc Pederson and Ketel Marte to end the inning but not before the damage was done.
Mid-Game Changes and Struggles
The middle innings saw more pitching changes and defensive switches, but the Dodgers’ bullpen continued to falter. Yohan Ramírez was the next men out of the pen but gave up a double to Christian Walker (dude, seriously?) and threw a gopher ball to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for a two-run home run.
Final Meltdown
By the time Christian Walker hit his second home run of the game in the top of the ninth (dude, seriously?), it was time to wave the white flag. The whole thing was a mess from start to finish. Not great, Bob.
Overall, the game highlighted the struggles of the Dodgers’ pitching staff, which allowed crucial runs at critical moments. Since Gavin Stone’s shutout victory last week, the pitching staff has been in freefall, surrendering 39 runs in the last five games. No biggie, we only have Milwaukee and Philadelphia back-to-back next week. Yeek!
