The Dodgers left Phoenix with a series loss and the D-backs left with a milestone they hadn’t touched since 2018.
Arizona took seven of the 13 regular-season meetings, securing the season series against Los Angeles for the first time in six years. Sunday’s 4-2 win at Chase Field closed the book on a stretch that drew more than 136,000 fans and had the feel of a postseason preview, even if October is still more than a month and a half away.
The victory also kept the D-backs right where they wanted to be in the National League Wild Card race. Under the familiar “if the season ended today” lens, they remained tied with the Phillies for the second spot.
Eduardo Rodriguez was the biggest reason the finale never tilted back toward the Dodgers. The 2026 All-Star looked every bit the part of a playoff Game 1 starter, working seven innings, allowing two runs and striking out nine. He needed 115 pitches to get through it, his highest pitch total in a start since Sept. 9, 2019, and he held the Dodgers in check for the fourth time this season.
Arizona backed him early and never gave the lead away. Ketel Marte got the scoring started with a two-run homer in the first, his 20th of the year and the fourth straight season in which he has reached 20-plus home runs. Gabriel Moreno added an RBI double in the second, giving the D-backs the cushion they needed behind Rodriguez and the bullpen.
The win also pushed Arizona to 19-9 against left-handed starters this season, the best winning percentage in the Majors.
In Other News...
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Since rejoining the rotation on June 30, Pfaadt has looked far more like a pitcher in command of his mix than one trying to survive each start. The Diamondbacks have noticed, too, with the manager and teammates praising both his performance and his arsenal as August has gone by without an earned run on his line. The lingering question now is not whether he belongs in the conversation, but how far Arizona is willing to let this version of him push it. [Read more 🡒]
Jake McCarthy Is Making The Diamondbacks Trade Debate Even Louder
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Arizona moved McCarthy to Colorado earlier in the offseason for pitching prospect Josh Grosz, and the deal already has become one of those trades that gets re-litigated every time the former Diamondback catches fire. With McCarthy putting up career-best numbers since landing in Colorado, the reaction back in Arizona has been predictably split, with some fans seeing a player they wish the club still had and others waiting to see whether the return eventually changes the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Add Risky Pitching Depth As Wild Card Pressure Builds
As the Wild Card race tightens, Arizona has gone looking for innings anywhere it can find them, and Zack Littell is the latest arm to join the mix. The right-hander landed with the Diamondbacks after Washington designated him for assignment, cleared waivers and then released him, giving Arizona a veteran starter-reliever option to help cover for the pitching injuries that have thinned the staff.
Littell arrives with plenty of recent big league mileage and a track record of bouncing between roles, the sort of profile clubs lean on when the calendar turns and every game starts to matter a little more. For the Diamondbacks, the appeal is simple: add depth now, sort out the rest later, and hope the new piece can steady a rotation and bullpen that have both been asked to carry too much for too long. [Read more 🡒]