Dateline: Cincinnati
The Arizona Diamondbacks scored three unearned runs in the ninth inning to drop the opener of the three game series 5-2.
Blake Dunn's dropped fly ball was the glaring error with two outs but hit batters, misjudged fly balls and throws to the wrong base contributed to the Reds' demise.
Dunn made some phenomenal plays this season. It was just a bad game for him and he owned it.
"It has some top spin on it," Dunn said. "Off the bat I got a bad read. I wasn't able to make up the ground. It was an awkward flight but was a play I should have made. I would have liked to slide looking back on it."
Noelvi Marte hit his first home run of the season leading off the bottom of the second inning. Diamondback starter, Eduardo Rodriguez, threw 40 pitches in the first inning, walking three batters but got three popups to escape. Marte hit the 44th pitch onto the canopy over the Reds' bullpen.
The Diamondbacks loaded the bases with no outs in the third inning. Ketel Marte doubled on a ball the Blake Dunn misjudged for a double. Corbin Carroll was hit by a pitch. Gabriel Moreno hit high chop to Spencer Steer at second base. He appeared to nip Carroll on a force play but the call was overturned on a challenge to load the bases. Nolan Arenado hit a fly to medium left field. Dunn tried to throw home to catch Marte instead of keeping the double play in order. Moreno advanced to second base. Ildemaro Vargas walked to reload the bases. Geraldo Perdomo was caught looking on a successful challenge by Reds' catcher, Tyler Stephenson. Lodolo got out of the inning when Jordan Lawlor grounded out.
"I thought he took a couple steps back (on the ball he dropped). I thought he recovered good. It just handcuffed him. It was like thigh high and that made it tough. On the double by Marte, CC (Colin Cowgill outfielders coach) and I were talking about it. We would have taken a couple steps in too," Terry Francona said. "It just came of his bat kind of different. I still think he's a good outfielder."
The Reds got the run back in the bottom of the inning. Steer walked and headed to third on Eugenio Suarez' bloop single in front of Lawlar. Lawler's throw took an in-between hop off Arenado's glove into the Arizona dugout allowing Steer to score.
Suarez was not awarded third base because he had not reached first base before Lawler made the throw. Blake Dunn struck out and Ryan Thompson relieved Rodriguez, who threw 85 pitches in 2 1/3 innings.
The Diamondbacks tied the game in the sixth inning. Lodolo hit a batter for the third time, by plunking Lawler. Lawler stole second and LuJames Groover singled up the middle to even the score.
Lodolo left after the hit with one out. Tejay Antone entered.
Lodolo pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits, one walk, three hit batters and five strikeouts. It was the fifth time in his career that Lodolo hit three batters in a game. The last time was on May 26, 2023 against the Chicago White Sox.
Antone finished the inning with no further damage.
Zach Maxwell took over in the eigth inning and retired the first two batters. Lawler hit a ground single to right and he walked Groover and Ryan Waldschmidt. He got ahead of Martel then struck him out looking on a successful appeal by Tyler Stephenson.
Kevin Ginkel gave up a lead off single to Suarez. Edwin Arroyo was a pinch runner. Dunn flied out and Marte grounded out with Arroyo moving to second. Nathaniel Lowe batted for Stephenson. McLain smashed a 3-2 pitch that Gold Glove third baseman, Arenado stabbed it and beat McLain with a throw to end the threat.
Brock Burke started the ninth for the Reds.
Mareno walked with one out. He stole his fourth base of the season and Arizona's fifth steal of the game. Arenado flied out. Vargas was walked intentionally. Perdomo hit a line fly to right that hit off the edge of Dunn's glove to allow Mareno to score. It put runners on second and third. Lawler dumped his second single into right field to score to more runs.
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