Gabriel Moreno delivered a pivotal grand slam in the fourth inning off Yoshinobu Yamamoto, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night in the first game of a four-game series between National League West rivals at Chase Field.
The Dodgers entered the contest as modest road favorites, with most betting lines listing them around -135 on the moneyline. The Diamondbacks, who had shown signs of offensive resurgence in recent games, were priced near +115. The run total was set at 8.5, a mark reached late in the game as both teams added runs in the final innings.
Yamamoto came into the game with significant momentum, carrying a league-best earned run average of 0.90 through his first several starts. However, he faced adversity in the fourth inning when Arizona mounted a threat. Pavin Smith drew a walk, Josh Naylor followed with a single, and Eugenio Suárez hit a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Moreno capitalized on the opportunity, sending a cutter just over the right-field fence for a grand slam. The home run was his first of the season and provided Arizona with a 4-0 lead.
The Diamondbacks added to their advantage in the following inning when Ketel Marte hit a solo home run to make it 5-0. The blast was Marte’s seventh season and marked the end of the scoring against Yamamoto, who finished his outing, allowing five runs on six hits and a walk while striking out four over six innings. The outing marked Yamamoto’s third season loss, dropping his record to 4-3.
Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt continued his impressive early-season form, holding the Dodgers scoreless through six and one-third innings. He allowed four hits, walked three batters, and struck out six. Pfaadt improved to 6-2 on the season and lowered his ERA while providing critical stability for a Diamondbacks pitching staff that has faced inconsistency in recent weeks.
The Dodgers began to rally in the eighth inning. Max Muncy hit a ground-rule double that drove in a run, and Andy Pages followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-2. With two runners on and one out, Michael Conforto stepped to the plate as the potential tying run. He grounded sharply up the middle, but Marte made a standout defensive play, ranging to his left and starting a slick double play that ended the inning and preserved the lead.
Shohei Ohtani added a solo home run in the ninth, his 11th season, narrowing the score to 5-3. The home run, which came with two outs, was too late for Los Angeles. Kevin Ginkel came on to secure the final out and earn his first save of the season.
The Diamondbacks improved to 20 wins on the year, becoming the fourth team in the division to reach that mark, joining the Dodgers, Padres, and Giants. The National League West remains one of the most competitive divisions in baseball.
The series continues Friday night with Los Angeles sending right-hander Roki Sasaki to the mound. Sasaki enters the game with a 1-1 record and a 3.86 ERA. Arizona will counter with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who is 1-3 with a 5.92 ERA on the season. Both teams will look to build momentum as the division race continues to intensify.
