D-backs roll into break with statement sweep in LA: 'We haven't told our story yet'

LOS ANGELES – The Diamondbacks entered their final series of the first half desperately trying to keep pace with a crowded National League Wild Card field.

They’re leaving it with the confidence that they can beat anybody after sweeping baseball’s marquee powerhouse.

Ildemaro Vargas hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth, Geraldo Perdomo led a defensive showcase, and the Diamondbacks rallied to beat the Dodgers, 5-3, on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium to complete an emphatic three-game sweep of the two-time defending champions.

It’s the Diamondbacks’ first sweep of the Dodgers in Los Angeles since Sept. 4-6, 2017.

They also became the first team to sweep the Dodgers this season.

“You know, this is a pretty good team,” Perdomo said. “They have amazing players. To come here and play three games against those titan players, it feels good to sweep them up. They haven't been swept [by us at home] since '17, and I think that was our goal, try to get that sweep for us.”

With the sweep, the Diamondbacks enter the All-Star break with a 49-47 record and sit just 2 1/2 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot currently held by Miami.

The Diamondbacks trailed 3-0 after three innings before rallying. Vargas and Nolan Arenado hit back-to-back doubles in the fifth to get the Diamondbacks on the board and Ryan Waldschmidt added a sacrifice fly to bring them within a run.

In the sixth, Perdomo led with a walk, worked his way around the bases, and scored the tying run when he broke for home on a ground ball to third base and Max Muncy’s throw to the plate hit him in the back. One batter later, Vargas drilled the go-ahead RBI single off the wall in right to give the D-backs their first lead.

“I told the group, even though it was 3-0, I felt like we were going to win this game,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “... And I kept telling the guys as they were walking by me, ‘We're going to win this game. Just go out there and execute.

“The guys just executed, just stayed hungry, and the at-bats were really good.”

Once the Diamondbacks took the lead, they kept it with a sensational defensive sequence in the bottom of the sixth.

Perdomo opened the inning by charging in and making an exceptional barehanded play and throw on the run to rob Mookie Betts of an infield single.

Corbin Carroll followed with a running catch in shallow right field and held on after colliding hard with Perdomo for the second out. Arenado finished the defensive showcase in style, diving full extension to his right to snag a hard liner from Kyle Tucker and end the inning.

“That's how we are,” Perdomo said. “We always say defense wins games, and that's pretty much what we did today.”

Tim Tawa added a home run in the top of the ninth to add critical insurance and conclude a monster series. Tawa went 7-for-13 with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs across three games against the Dodgers.

The comeback victory would not have been possible in the first place without the Diamondbacks' bullpen.

Mitch Bratt, making a spot start after he was called up to replace an injured Zac Gallen, gave up three runs in three innings to put the D-backs in an early hole.

But once Arizona's bullpen entered, the bleeding stopped. Six D-backs relievers combined for six no-hit innings the rest of the way, giving their offense a chance to mount a comeback.

Taylor Clarke, Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel held down the middle innings. Jonathan Loáisiga and Juan Morillo stymied the Dodgers' attempted rallies in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. Paul Sewald finished it with a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 22nd save, blowing an elevated fastball by Teoscar Hernández for a swinging strikeout to end the game in style.

“I just feel like this bullpen's been dominant, and this was an exclamation point on an incredible first half,” Sewald said. “I think everybody's having as close to a career year as they can, and it was great to see it end like that. That was just fantastic.”

Now, the Diamondbacks head into the All-Star break firmly in the Wild Card mix and in a stronger position to be buyers at the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.

As far as Lovullo is concerned, what happened at Dodger Stadium was a preview of things to come in the second half.

“We’re in the middle of it and we have not played close to our caliber of baseball or to our level of our standing,” Lovullo said. “I think the best is yet to come, and if it does, we're gonna make some noise.

“We're in the middle of this journey, and we haven't told our story yet.”