The Dodgers had the lead entering the eighth inning…
and then the floodgates opened!
The Diamondbacks blew the roof off Chase Field, literally, as they scored nine runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 13-5, on Friday night in Phoenix.
The Dodgers led 5-4 entering the bottom of the eighth thanks to the offensive exploits of Joc Pederson and Corey Seager.
Pederson was celebrating his 25th Birthday and celebrated by going 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.
Seager knocked in the team's first three runs, including a two-run home run in the first inning.
¡Así comenzamos el partido de hoy, con este bambinazo de dos carreras de @coreyseager_5! #LosDodgers pic.twitter.com/bmnS3pvRju — Los Dodgers (@LosDodgers) April 22, 2017
A.J. Pollock would answer with a home run of his own in the bottom half of the first, as the two teams took turns tying the game before the Dodgers took the lead on a pinch-hit solo homer by Chris Taylor in the op of the seventh.
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With one of the best bullpens in baseball needed to record just six remaining outs, the Dodgers thought they had the game won, but the levee broke open in a nightmare bottom of the eighth.
Arizona batted around in a 45-minute eighth inning, sending 14 batters to the plate against four different Dodger relievers.
"That was very uncharacteristic," said Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts of his bullpen. "You have to give those guys credit over there, they got the big hits when they needed."
Ross Stripling allowed three hits and two earned runs, Luis Avilan walked the only two batters he faced, and right-hander Sergio Romo suffered the worst of the group, surrendering five runs on two hits with three walks and a balk, in his worst outing of the season.
"I messed up right there," Romo said of the first balk in his MLB career. "I've been doing this a while now, it's not the first time i've been hit around."
Josh Fields recorded the final two outs of the eighth inning, but by then the damage had been done and the Diamondbacks were on their way to a blowout victory.
In total, the Dodgers walked five batters in the nightmare eighth inning, the most in a single inning since 1975.
Up Next:
Kenta Meda heads to the mound on Saturday opposite LHP Robbie Ray who they faced last week in Los Angeles. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 PM PST.
