Arizona Diamondbacks pull off rare comeback, crush L.A. Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — The night had hardly even begun and yet here it was, careening seemingly beyond repair.

On the mound at Dodger Stadium, the Diamondbacks had a debuting pitcher, Cristian Mena, who could get nothing to work. He allowed the first five batters to reach, producing four runs. He stalked around the infield, occasionally yelling at himself, occasionally reduced to dejection. “That was a tough inning,” he acknowledged later.

It got so bad so quickly that even manager Torey Lovullo couldn’t see the bigger picture. He was not, during the first inning, formulating grand visions of what a comeback could look like. He was only thinking about Mena, hoping that his starter could escape with three outs and keep his confidence intact.

Officially, the Diamondbacks’ win probability dropped to 17% as the inning spiraled. In reality, it felt worse.

Then, the Diamondbacks accomplished something they hadn’t done in 78 days: They won a game in which they trailed by multiple runs. It started with a 4-1 deficit amid Mena’s nightmare and ended in a blowout the other direction, a 12-4 win over the Dodgers.

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The last time the Diamondbacks pulled off a multi-run comeback, their season was still fresh and full of residual October excitement. It came April 16 in an extra-inning win over the Chicago Cubs. Kyle Nelson, Luis Frias and Miguel Castro all pitched. Jace Peterson made a pinch-hit appearance.

From then until Wednesday night, the Diamondbacks faced 34 deficits of two or more runs. Somehow, almost impossibly, they won none of them. The stat made its way into the conscience of the coaching staff and the front office, all trying to understand how a team nicknamed "The Answerbacks" a year ago — a testament to their 20 multi-run comebacks — had become so lifeless.

“You've gotta find something inside of you to rally and come back,” Lovullo said. “It was definitely something that we were good at last year. But it doesn't happen automatically. You've gotta invest in it.”

On Wednesday, the Diamondbacks were able to find the right ingredients quickly. As Mena settled down, the offense took advantage. They tied the game in the third inning, led by Eugenio Suarez's double and an opposite-field homer from catcher Gabriel Moreno.

Since returning from 10 days on the injured list Tuesday, Moreno has gone 4 for 8 with two extra-base hits and a walk. The Diamondbacks are hoping it can be a repeat of last year, when he emerged refreshed from a three-week stint on the sideline and hit .311 the rest of the way.

“I think it's a little bit of a blow, a little bit of a refresher for him,” Lovullo said. “… It's something that we noticed last year and he's impacting the ball again really well this year.”

An inning after Moreno’s tying homer, the Diamondbacks took the lead through a familiar source. Christian Walker turned on an inside fastball and ripped it out to left field for his 16th homer in 41 career games at Dodger Stadium. Later, he added No. 17 for good measure.

“Confidence is high,” Walker said. “Any time you play well in a park, there's a few parks around the league where something feels different about the batter's box. Maybe the lights, maybe just the visuals.”

The rest of the Diamondbacks’ offensive explosion came from a variety of sources. There was more power, such as Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s seventh-inning homer, but there was also small ball — another tenet of the 2023 club that has disappeared this year.

With the lead still at one in the fifth inning, Lovullo and Geraldo Perdomo realized they had a perfect opportunity. Perdomo is one of the club’s better bunters. Standing on third base was Jake McCarthy, one of the club’s faster runners. The combination, they felt, was ripe for a safety squeeze. The execution, too, was on the money.

“That's who we are,” Lovullo said.

This year, it hasn’t been. But in recent weeks, the Diamondbacks have seen three starters — Perdomo, Moreno and Alek Thomas — return from the injured list. None is an offensive star, but each help produce a more cohesive unit. The type of unit that can overcome a two-run deficit.

They did so Tuesday, only to see it evaporate in a ninth-inning collapse. This time, they went a step further, putting their comeback bid beyond doubt.

“As the guys come back, it's nothing but momentum,” Walker said. “It's more energy in the dugout, it's more talent on the field. It's everything you want.”

Rodriguez, Kelly progressing in injury rehab

LOS ANGELES — Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez will undergo another round of imaging on his left lat Friday. If all goes well — as the Diamondbacks expect — he will be approved to begin throwing flat-ground bullpen sessions.

That is typically the last step a pitcher must clear before returning to the mound. After that point, Rodriguez will go through a progression of bullpen sessions, simulated games and likely a minor league rehab assignment.

Right-hander Merrill Kelly is also nearing a flat-ground session. He is throwing out to 120 feet and is currently scheduled to throw from flat ground on Saturday.

Reliever Miguel Castro, meanwhile, was set to pitch on a rehab assignment in Triple-A Reno on Wednesday night.

Wednesday's Diamondbacks-Dodgers pitching matchup

Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34

Diamondbacks RHP Cristian Mena (3-2, 4.90)* vs. Dodgers RHP Gavin Stone (9-2, 2.73).

Mena is set to start Wednesday’s game in place of injured LHP Jordan Montgomery, making him the fifth-youngest pitcher to start a game in Diamondbacks history. … He was acquired from the White Sox for OF Dominic Fletcher in the offseason. … He is considered one of the club’s more promising pitching prospects. … He started the season well in Triple-A but has a 7.16 ERA over his past six starts. ... Stone, a former top-100 prospect, has excelled in his second season in the big leagues. ... He pitched a four-hit shutout against the White Sox last time out and had a 1.97 ERA in June. ... His changeup and slider are both putaway pitches, while his 94.6 mph fastball has gotten excellent results this season.

*Triple-A stats

Thursday’s Diamondbacks-Dodgers pitching matchup

Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 6:10 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34

Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (6-4, 2.83) vs. Dodgers RHP Landon Knack (1-1, 2.08).

Gallen returned from a month on the injured list last week, dominating the A’s in six innings of scoreless, one-hit ball. … Despite pitching to a 3.12 ERA prior to his injury, Gallen said he had not felt at his best mechanically. In Saturday’s return, Gallen felt closer to that point. He threw the two faster pitches of his career in that game, hitting 97 mph with his fastball. … The Diamondbacks skipped Slade Cecconi’s turn in the rotation to keep Gallen on a regular rest schedule and get an extra start out of him prior to the All-Star break. … Knack was a second-round pick by the Dodgers in 2020 and broke out in the minor leagues last season. He made his debut in April and has bounced between MLB and Triple-A since then. … In his last start, Knack struck out seven and allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings against the Giants. … He faced the Diamondbacks in April, allowing one run in five innings. He is averaging just over five innings per start in the majors.

Coming up

Friday: At San Diego, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Slade Cecconi (2-6, 5.81) vs. Padres RHP Randy Vasquez (2-4, 4.88).

Saturday: At San Diego, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (3-6, 4.28) vs. Padres RHP Matt Waldron (5-7, 3.56).

Sunday: At San Diego, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (5-6, 5.42) vs. Padres RHP Dylan Cease (7-7, 4.24).