Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
An off-day represented a chance to reset for the Dodgers, but the results remained relatively similar. A bunch of mistakes on the bases and missed chance at the plate, and then the pitching faltering late. This time it was Edwin Diaz allowing a walk-off homer in a 4-3 loss to the Diamondbacks that made it seven losses in a row.
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Roki Sasaki mostly continued his stellar run after the All-Star break, though he did leave trailing the game.
Things started with five outs in a row, but then Nolan Arenado ambushed him in the 2nd for a homer to make it 1-0 Diamondbacks.
OH. MY. ARENADO. pic.twitter.com/JqRLXIDtHy
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 8, 2026
Roki then navigated around some two-out trouble after a double in both the 3rd and 4th, but couldn’t do the same in the 5th. After a one-out walk and stolen base, Geraldo Perdomo came up with a two-out “triple” that Andy Pages bobbled in center to make it 2-0, though the bleeding did stop there.
It's Trippy 😵💫 pic.twitter.com/7Tbb2zwrkE
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 8, 2026
He then finished his outing with a scoreless 6th to continue the aforementioned run of success: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 86 Pitches.
Roki's five strikeouts. https://t.co/s3ljHBsqGs pic.twitter.com/3LmLh8VrAb
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 8, 2026
It’s hard not to be optimistic here.
Yeah. Thanks for the excuse: https://t.co/i8fvLrnD4T https://t.co/KPBJBZnED5
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 8, 2026
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Still, they were down because of … I mean, Merrill Kelly in 2026.
In fact, he hilariously had a no-hitter through five innings. Granted, that was only because of this homer robbery of Tommy Edman from Corbin Carroll in the 3rd. Just … all you can do is laugh.
If it glitters, it might be Gold. pic.twitter.com/RcVcljRvpZ
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 8, 2026
Other than that, they got just a two-out walk in the 2nd and a two-out walk in the 3rd (that was erased on a caught stealing). Brutal showing to that point.
They finally broke up the no-no with an Edman infield single to start the 6th, but he was then picked off first in what felt like a backbreaking mistake that has happened too often of late.
That proved more costly when Hunter Feduccia followed with a single and both Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages drew walks to load the bases.
That brought up Freddie Freeman, who got ahead 2-0, but then swung at a curve out of the zone despite eight of the last nine pitches from Kelly being balls. He then took what looked almost like a protective swing on a grounder to second for an out but managed to barely prevent a double play to score Feduccia to make it 2-1.
After the pick-off being the only out of the inning, Freddie swings at 2-0 ball after 8 of the last 9 Kelly pitches were balls, then barely beats out a grounder for a run. https://t.co/N1ZVAREIHb pic.twitter.com/ZtZk2l97Ns
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 8, 2026
Kelly unfortunately had to exit with an injury at that point, which maybe explains his sudden loss of command.
Juan Morillo entered and got a strikeout to end that threat. Taylor Clarke then started the 7th, giving up a lead-off single to Mookie Betts and advancing him to second on a wild pitch, and Kyle Tucker followed with a single of his own to corner things. Teoscar Hernandez then had a demoralizing infield pop for an out, but Edman singled to score Betts and tie things at 2-2.
After a deflating at-bat before, Edman singles on a great pitch to tie things up. pic.twitter.com/QlTULCvzCs
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 8, 2026
They then turned to Brandyn Garcia, who gave up a single to the pinch-hitting Miguel Rojas to load things up for Shohei. Unfortunately, he was somehow late on a 1-0 fastball and hit into a 4-6-3 double play to kill that chance.
Brutal.
Garcia thankfully continued in the 8th against Pages, who bombed his 19th of the year to left before the broadcast to even catch it. 3-2 Dodgers.
Andy Pages homers for the lead, with a replay that actually shows the homer. https://t.co/vuEIp4aFLL pic.twitter.com/FT4tNI2Wcn
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 8, 2026
That was all they would get in the 8th and Kevin Ginkel then got a scoreless 9th.
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Meanwhile, the Dodgers pen was looking to finally restore some faith, starting with Edgardo Henriquez in the 7th. He has ben struggling recently, but looked sharp today with two strikeouts, allowing just a soft single and having a groundball hit robbed by Edman.
Tommy Tanks robs a hit. pic.twitter.com/PusmJTMCyO
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 8, 2026
Tanner Scott followed in the 8th by getting the first two, but then allowed a double, issued an intentional and then unintentional walk to load the bases, and barely escaped after winning a 12-pitch battle with Arenado.
Tanner Scott wins a 12-pitch battle to strand the bases loaded. pic.twitter.com/EqlrsZGXZx
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 8, 2026
That perhaps set the stage for the disaster in the 9th, as Edwin Diaz issued a lead-off walk, rebounded with a three-pitch strikeout, but then gave up another homer on another hanging slider to give the D-backs a 4-3 walk-off win.
WALDSTAR pic.twitter.com/PP14N8tp5R
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 8, 2026
Of course, lol.
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Roki cartoon glove mention!
"Sasaki uses that cartoon glove to scoop it…" – Joe Davis pic.twitter.com/Y238Xorf2J
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 8, 2026
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| NL Seeding | Record | GB |
| Brewers | 72-44 | – |
| Braves | 70-46 | 2.0 |
| Dodgers | 69-47 | 3.0 |
The series continues tomorrow a bit earlier for the weekend at 2:10 PM HT/5:10 PM PT/8:10 PM ET. It’ll be Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the bump against Brandon Pfaadt.
