Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Ryan Waldschmidt stunned star closer Edwin Diaz, extending the Los Angeles Dodgers' losing skid to seven games.
The Los Angeles Dodgers trailed 2-0 early to the Arizona Diamondbacks, but they were able to score a run in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.
Trailing 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, the D-backs knew it was do-or-die time. Seeing as the back-to-back World Series Champions were riding a six-game losing streak, the last thing Arizona wanted to do was be the reason that came to an end.
Edwin Diaz made his fourth appearance since returning on Wednesday, July 29. Max Kepler drew an eight-pitch walk, one that set the tone of what this inning would become.
While Tim Tawa struck out on three straight fastballs, Ryan Waldschmidt won a six-pitch battle as he crushed Diaz's 90 mph slider, 411-feet to dead center, leading to a 4-3 Diamondbacks victory.
Diamondbacks nine hitter was the hero
On paper, Diaz and the Dodgers couldn't have asked for a better matchup. Their star closer, one who signed a three-year, $69 million deal, was the reason LA lost to the Diamondbacks' bottom three hitters in the lineup.
With the way things played out in this one, it's clear maybe the D-backs were right not to make a ton of moves at the deadline. The newly acquired Lars Nootbaar was 1-for-3 before he was later pulled for Ildemaro Vargas, but it was great to see him at least get one of Arizona's seven hits in this game.
Diaz now has a pair of blown saves on the year. Keep in mind, he's only pitched nine innings in 11 appearances. Nothing has gone right for the 32-year-old here in 2026, and Waldschmidt helped contribute to his abysmal 11.00 ERA and 2.44 WHIP.
Waldschmidt's second career homer couldn't have come at a better time
Waldschmidt, 23, has just a pair of home runs in his 51 games played. He's not someone the D-backs can rely on due to his power, but he is slashing a strong .292/.331/.417 with a .748 OPS.
Of his 49 hits, 16 of those are for extra bases. Obviously, 13 are doubles, but he was able to record both his first triple and homer in his rookie season.
"So I started sprinting, and then I heard everyone kind of go crazy, and I looked up, and both the outfielders were just looking into the stands," Waldschmidt said, according to MLB.com. "So I was like, 'That's pretty sweet.'"
When it first came off his bat, he may not have originally known it was gone, but this is a home run the Florida native will never forget.
At this point, the Diamondbacks are only 7.5 games back in the National League West, and with the way the Dodgers have been slumping, it's possible this division title race is far from over.
