Dodgers Defeat Diamondbacks 8-6 with Tommy Edman’s Ninth-Inning Heroics

Tommy Edman’s two-run single in the ninth inning led the Dodgers to an 8-6 victory over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.Photo byDez Hester @DezHesteronUnsplash

PHOENIX – Tommy Edman’s two-run single in the top of the ninth inning broke a 6-6 tie, propelling the Los Angeles Dodgers (82-54) to an 8-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks (76-60) on Saturday at Chase Field.

Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly (4-0, 4.30 ERA) faced early trouble but managed to navigate through a challenging first inning. Despite the onslaught, Kelly settled in and utilized his six-pitch repertoire effectively.

Kelly pitched 5.1 innings, allowing 10 hits and 6 runs, 4 of which were earned. He walked 1, struck out 1, and gave up 3 home runs on 83 pitches.

His ability to mix his pitches—23 cutters, 21 fastballs, 17 changeups, 14 curveballs, 4 sliders, and 4 sinkers—likely kept him in the game longer.

Game Recap:

In the first inning, Shohei Ohtani launched an 84.7 mph curveball from Kelly 420 feet over the right-center field fence, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

Mookie Betts followed with a 400-foot blast off an 86.8 mph slider, extending the lead to 2-0.

Freddie Freeman capped the inning with a 437-foot shot off a 93.2 mph four-seam fastball, pushing the Dodgers' lead to 3-0.

The Diamondbacks responded in the bottom half of the inning when Corbin Carroll hammered an 88.9 mph changeup to deep center field.

The ball bounced high off the wall and ricocheted back onto the field as Carroll sped around the bases for a stand-up solo inside-the-park home run, cutting the Dodgers' lead to 3-1.

Following Carroll’s inside-the-park homer, Jake McCarthy and Joc Pederson hit back-to-back singles.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. then delivered a clutch two-run double, tying the score at 3-3. With one out, Adrian Del Castillo walked, and Eugenio Suárez followed with an RBI sacrifice fly, giving the Diamondbacks a 4-3 lead.

In the second inning, Ohtani’s RBI sacrifice fly tied the score at 4-4. Freeman then singled in Miguel Rojas to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Gurriel Jr. tied the score again, launching his 17th home run of the season, a solo shot to left field, making it 5-5.

The Dodgers reclaimed the lead in the fifth inning when Gavin Lux doubled, and Max Muncy’s RBI single made it 6-5.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Diamondbacks tied the score at 6-6.

In the pivotal top of the ninth, with runners on second and third, Edman poked a 1-2, 90.5 mph splitter into play, driving in the go-ahead runs that the D-backs could not overcome.