Dodgers trounced by Diamondbacks as Wrobleski implodes

The Diamondbacks poured it on early, as Randal Grichuck's three-hit game led the charge while the Dodgers were blown out 14-3 on Sunday afternoon at Chase Field.

All nine starters for Arizona recorded at least one hit, while 11 of 12 total hitters to come to the plate on Sunday reached base. Grichuk, Geraldo Perdomo, and Eugenio Suarez each collected multiple RBI in the process for the Diamondbacks, who managed to bat around completely in the second inning.

Brandon Pfaadt (9-7) made his 27th start of the season for Arizona, picking up the victory as he dealt 5 2/3 innings. On 98 pitches (65 strikes), he allowed three earned runs and struck out 10 batters for just the third time this season. He lowered his ERA to 4.32.

Dodgers' starter Justin Wrobleski (1-2), making his sixth start of the season, had a brutal afternoon. The southpaw tossed 99 total pitches (58 strikes), allowing 10 hits and walking two. He exited after 5 1/3 innings, managing to calm things down after the first couple of innings. 

On offense, Los Angeles struggled to convert with runners on base. Two of their three runs came on RBI groundouts from Tommy Edman and Kevin Kiermaier, while the third came via an RBI single from Austin Barnes. The top portion of the lineup struggled mightily to make things happen as Arizona continually extended the lead all game long.

The Dodgers are now 82-55 and 37-31 on the road. With the Padres also coming out victorious on Sunday (4-3 over the Rays), their NL West lead was cut to 5 games. Both San Diego and Arizona are now 6-4 in their last ten games and tied for second place. Los Angeles will play a huge game on Monday as they try to fend off Arizona and avoid dropping the season series (currently 6-6).

Wrobleski collapses early

It was the worst start of the year for left-hander Justin Wrobleski by a wide margin. He allowed 10 earned runs on the day, struggling significantly in the second inning before finishing on a slightly better note.

He had pitched a scoreless first frame, getting off to a promising start, before the Arizona bats caught fire in the second to take complete control. Randal Grichuk led off the inning with a double, before Eugenio Suarez gave Arizona the lead two batters later on an RBI single. Of the next five batters, Jose Herrera, Geraldo Perdomo and Josh Bell also delivered run-scoring hits as the Diamondbacks quickly grabbed a 5-0 lead. It allowed Grichuk to step up for the second time in the inning, this time delivering a three-run home run.

It was an eight-run frame for Arizona as Wrobleski allowed seven hits and a walk across 41 pitches. The 24-year-old did a much better job the rest of the way, retiring 10 of 11 before back-to-back singles from Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll knocked him out of the game with one out in the sixth.

For Wrobleski, it was the first time this season that he had allowed more than four runs or five hits. He has now allowed five home runs combined across his last two starts. Before Sunday, he had not suffered a loss since July 7, in his first appearance of the season. Now with a 4.68 ERA this season, he did not give the Dodgers much of a chance from the jump. After being called up alongside Andy Pages, the club will have to decide what the next step for him is.

"Big 3" go silent

An unimpressive day from the Dodgers' lineup was perhaps hidden by the struggles that their pitching staff encountered early on. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman combined to finish 1-8 at the plate with five strikeouts as all three were taken out before the game's end. As a team, Los Angeles finished just 1-11 with runners in scoring position. Max Muncy and Kevin Kiermaier each finished 0-3 in their chances to cash In with runners aboard.

Ohtani, who is currently at 44 home runs and 43 stolen bases on his chase to 50-50, struggled especially. Hitting leadoff, he finished 0-4 with three strikeouts and snapped a streak of two consecutive games with a home run to start the series in Arizona. The 30-year-old sensation finished August with his worst numbers in any month this season, hitting just .235 with an OPS below .900 for the first time since March. It should all be taken with a grain of salt, however, as he still mashed 12 homers across 27 hits and accumulated 22 RBI. 

As for Betts, he was removed from the blowout after finishing 1-2 across his first pair of at-bats. He was replaced by Andy Pages, who was called up alongside Sunday's starter Justin Wrobleski. Pages finished 0-3 with a strikeout in the contest. Betts has now hit safely in seven of his last eight games. 

Freddie Freeman finished 0-2 in his at-bats before being taken out and replaced with Kike Hernandez. The game snapped a three-game hitting streak for Freeman, who finished 3-5 in Saturday night's dramatic win. It was certainly an off game for the three impact hitters, who did not get much of a chance to contribute considering the circumstances of the game. With a fresh slate tomorrow, the trio will have a much better chance to look like their regular selves again and help the Dodgers secure the season series against their division rivals.

Ex-Dodger solid in relief

The Diamondback's bullpen did a nice job behind starter Brandon Pfaadt, pitching 3 1/3 scoreless innings to get Arizona across the finish line. Dylan Floro, who spent three seasons with the Dodgers from 2018-2020, pitched the final two innings.

The right-hander, who was acquired from the Nationals at the trade deadline, allowed one hit and struck out three. It was a nice confidence booster for Floro, who has struggled with his new team since getting traded. In a Diamondbacks uniform, the 33-year-old has posted a 5.12 ERA across six appearances. In his time with Washington, he had posted a 2.06 ERA across 51 appearances. In August, he pitched to a 6.30 ERA.

On Sunday, he managed to strike out Gavin Lux, Tommy Edman and Andy Pages across his two innings. The Dodgers significantly struggled against the entire Arizona bullpen, being held to just one hit and striking out four times in the final 2 1/3 innings. Floro fared much better than his counterpart in the eighth, Kike Hernandez, who made an appearance on the mound for Los Angeles amidst the blowout.

Hernandez conceded four consecutive hits in the eighth as the Diamondbacks tagged him for two more runs. The 33-year-old, who initially entered the game to play first base, now has a 5.40 ERA as a pitcher. 

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks will conclude their series at 1:10 on Monday afternoon as Los Angeles looks to take the crucial tiebreaker in the season series. If Arizona were to come back in the NL West hunt and finish with the same record as Los Angeles, first place would be awarded to the team that played better in head-to-head games. Right-hander Jack Flaherty (10-6, 3.07 ERA) will take the mound for the Dodgers against Diamondbacks' left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (2-0, 5.06 ERA).