LOS ANGELES — The team responsible for giving the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers their longest losing streak so far this season? The Arizona Diamondbacks, who with a 9-5 win here Monday (May 19), pushed the Dodgers’ skid to four.
The Diamondbacks opened a three-game series at Dodger Stadium by thumping the home team with a trio of two-run homers, one each from Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Gabriel Moreno and Geraldo Perdomo, and six innings of three-hit ball from starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt (7-3).
There was more. The Diamondbacks (26-22) took advantage of Dodgers center fielder Hyeseong Kim completely losing a ball in the early evening sky for a Eugenio Suarez double, which led to two runs in the first inning, and Moreno tied a team record for most pitches seen in an at-bat with 16.
Moreno was just looking to get on base in the fifth inning against Dodgers reliever Landon Knack, who was supposed to start the game but came on after two innings. Knack allowed four runs on six hits in five innings.
Moreno said he’d never had an at-bat that long before.
“Everyone was happy and smiling. I feel good, but like, I just wanted something to get on base,” Moreno said. He tied the club record for most pitches faced in a single at-bat, set by three former Diamondbacks.
“That was awesome,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “The whole dugout was engaged. It took an inning off of their pitcher’s ability to go out there and throw to potentially three more batters. We like that. It was a great at-bat. He wasn’t giving in. ‘Gabby’ looks locked in right now for sure.”
A 7-0 lead turned into 7-3 with two solo home runs for Mookie Betts and one for Shohei Ohtani, bringing the crowd of more than 41,000 into the game. But the Diamondbacks added on late, and almost had another home run in the ninth from Josh Naylor, whose long fly was caught at the wall.
“It was important to attack the pitchers. We scored and hit homers. We took advantage of everything and we executed,” Moreno said.
Pfaadt retired 10 in a row to start the game, including Ohtani twice. He is now 4-0 in his past four starts against the Dodgers.
Pfaadt said his slider felt great.
“I got out early and we were able to attack the zone,” he said. “All three were solo home runs, so that helps. That’s a big part, and the offense coming alive early and limiting that damage with runners on was a big part of the win.”
For Dodgers fans, the biggest win of the night might have been the Vin Scully bobbleheads they got upon entering the park. They grew restless at times watching their team fall behind, and many had left before the bottom of the ninth, not wanting to see another defeat after the Dodgers were swept by the Angels at home over the past weekend.
Things got a bit uncomfortable for the Diamondbacks in the Dodgers’ last at-bat, as struggling reliever Ryan Thompson gave up two hits with no outs and was charged with two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Had Kim gotten on base in the ninth against the Diamondbacks’ Shelby Miller, Ohtani would have been up with a chance to tie the game with one swing.
It was Ohtani who capped off a six-run Dodgers comeback in the ninth inning at Chase Field on May 9, his three-run home run wiping out a Diamondbacks’ lead.
But there was none of that this time, even though the Dodgers (29-19) remain in first place in the NL West with a half-game lead over the Padres, a game over the Giants and three games up on the Diamondbacks.
“You can never count them out. You saw what they did there in the ninth inning, that’s just the type of team they are,” Lovullo said. “We know that they had a tough little run the last few days against the L.A. Angels. We’re going to take nothing for granted.
“Winning Game 1 here is very important. We want to win the series, and we can’t do that unless we go out and play another great game tomorrow. And that will be our mindset.”
Ryne Nelson figured he’d be back as a starter
Before things began here May 19, as Eminem’s music blared through the visiting clubhouse, Diamondbacks pitcher Ryne Nelson calmly spoke about being back in the starting rotation as his teammates engaged in a spirited board game nearby.
The right-hander is scheduled to pitch on Tuesday, May 20, here against the Dodgers. He’s a starter again, for now, with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez on the injured list.
Nelson has been a starter for almost all of the past two seasons, but began 2025 in the bullpen. He accepted his role but felt he would start again, and plans to approach his starts the same way he does every outing.
“I thought at some point the situation was going to pop up,” Nelson said about being a starter again. “But I just tried to focus on what was in front of me day to day and not try to think too far ahead.”
Lovullo said the team has asked a lot of Nelson in the past, and that he probably had earned the right to be a starter before the team signed Corbin Burnes in the offseason.
“He takes things in stride as good as any young player I’ve ever seen,” Lovullo said. “There’s no attitude that he’s getting picked on, getting singled out. It’s, ‘What can I do to go out and do my job, help the team win, and continue to trust the people evaluating me?’”
Relievers on injured list getting healthier
Lovullo had injury updates on three pitchers prior to Arizona’s series opener Monday, May 19, at Dodger Stadium.
Right-handed reliever Justin Martinez was headed to Reno to pitch one inning in a Triple-A game on May 20, and will head back to Phoenix the following day.
Left-handed reliever A.J. Puk began his throwing program on May 19 and threw 60 feet. Puk told Lovullo he is feeling good and that it went as well as it possibly could.
Puk, on the 60-day injured list with left elbow inflammation since May 1, had not been throwing until picking up a ball to start his program.
“I’m sure the ball felt foreign in his hand,” Lovullo said of Puk. “He followed the protocol perfectly. Getting him started on return to play, return to throw is real important to this team. We’re not going to run it too fast, we’re going to make sure that we take good care of him.”
Starter Eduardo Rodriguez threw out to 90 feet on May 19. The left-hander is on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation, joining Martinez, who has right shoulder inflammation.
Coming up
Tuesday, May 20: At Los Angeles, 7:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (1-1, 5.13) vs. Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (5-3, 2.12).
Wednesday, May 21: At Los Angeles, 7:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Corbin Burnes (3-1, 2.56) vs. Dodgers RHP Dustin May (1-4, 4.43).
Thursday, May 22: Off.
Friday, May 23: At St. Louis, 5:15 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (3-5, 5.14) vs. Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (3-2, 3.77).
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
