PHOENIX – It didn’t start well after a sweep in late March. But the D-backs’ season series with the Dodgers ended gloriously.
For the first time since 2018, the club has toppled its division rivals, winning seven of the 13 regular-season contests.
More than 136,000 fans packed into Chase Field during a series that felt reminiscent of what to expect during the postseason. Of course, under the banner of “if the season ended today,” the D-backs would join the Dodgers there. By virtue of their 4-2 win on Sunday in the series finale, they remained tied with the Phillies for the second National League Wild Card spot.
There’s more than a month and a half until the playoffs begin, but if the D-backs needed a Game 1 starter, it would almost surely be Eduardo Rodriguez. The 2026 All-Star was again in top form Sunday, stymieing the star-studded Dodgers lineup for the fourth time this season. He yielded just two runs across seven frames and turned in a season-high nine punchouts, throwing 115 pitches, his most in a start since Sept. 9, 2019.
The offense provided an early jolt — and a lead Rodriguez and the bullpen would never relinquish. Ketel Marte clobbered his 20th homer of the season in the first, a two-run shot that gave him four consecutive campaigns with 20+ roundtrippers. Gabriel Moreno, who navigated Rodriguez’s gem from behind the plate, added an RBI double in the second. The victory gives the D-backs a 19-9 record when facing left-handed starters this season, the top winning percentage in the Majors.
Kevin Ginkel locked down save No. 1 in 2026, retiring Mookie Betts, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy in order. The 32-year-old has now recorded at least one save in seven of the past eight years.
