If you were watching the Dodgers vs Diamondbacks play by play on September 25, 2025, you knew pretty quickly this wasn't just another late-season game. Most folks assume these September matchups are just "tune-ups" for the postseason. Not this time. The air at Chase Field was thick, almost heavy. The Dodgers were looking to hammer the final nail into the NL West coffin, and the Diamondbacks were desperately trying to keep their Wild Card pulse beating. Honestly, it felt more like a street fight than a baseball game.
The Yamamoto Clinic: Top of the First to the Sixth
Yoshinobu Yamamoto stepped onto the mound looking like a man who had already won the Cy Young in his head. Seriously. His splitter was falling off a table.
In the bottom of the first, Geraldo Perdomo took a called strike three that looked like it defied physics. That set the tone. For the next six innings, Yamamoto was basically a surgeon. He didn't just throw strikes; he located them with the precision of a GPS. By the time he hit his 200th strikeout of the season by fanning Corbin Carroll, the Arizona crowd had gone from rowdy to sorta... silent.
It’s wild when you think about it. The Diamondbacks aren't a bad hitting team. Far from it. But they looked lost.
When the Roof Blew Off: The Fourth Inning Explosion
If the first three innings were a chess match, the fourth was a sledgehammer. People always talk about "momentum," but this was more like a tidal wave.
- Freddie Freeman started it. He caught a hanging breaking ball from Nabil Crismatt and sent it into the right-center seats. 22nd homer of the year.
- Then came the moment everyone was waiting for. Shohei Ohtani.
- The count was 1-1. Crismatt tried to sneak a heater past him. Big mistake.
Ohtani’s 54th home run of the season didn't just clear the wall; it splashed directly into the Chase Field swimming pool. You could hear the thud over the broadcast. 6-0 Dodgers. At that point, the play-by-play log basically turned into a highlight reel for Los Angeles.
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Breaking Down the Scoring Sequence
The Dodgers' offense is a monster. After Freeman and Ohtani did their thing, Mookie Betts decided he wanted in on the action too. He ripped a two-run single that extended the lead to 8-0. It was efficient. It was cold. It was exactly what Dodger fans have come to expect from a billion-dollar roster.
The Bullpen Holds the Line
A lot of casual fans tune out when the score hits 8-0. You shouldn't. The way Dave Roberts managed the back half of this game was actually pretty interesting.
He didn't let Yamamoto go the distance, even though he probably could have. Why risk the arm? Instead, he cycled through the pen. Three relievers combined to finish off the five-hit shutout. The Diamondbacks had a small opening in the 8th when they got two runners on, but the Dodgers' defense—specifically a backhanded stop by Kiké Hernández—shut the door.
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Honestly, the Diamondbacks' frustration was visible. You could see it in the way Lourdes Gurriel Jr. slammed his helmet after a flyout. They knew their season was slipping away.
Why the Dodgers vs Diamondbacks Play by Play Matters Now
This game wasn't just about one win. It was the Dodgers clinching their 12th NL West title in 13 years. Think about that for a second. Total dominance.
For the Diamondbacks, this loss was the start of a slide that eventually saw them heading to San Diego needing a miracle. It's a reminder that in the NL West, the margin for error is basically zero. You can't give Ohtani a cookie. You can't let Freeman get comfortable.
If you're looking for lessons from this specific Dodgers vs Diamondbacks play by play summary, here's what the data actually tells us:
- Pitching depth wins September. The Dodgers didn't just have an ace; they had a bullpen that refused to give up a single run when the game was already "over."
- Aggressive baserunning. Even up by eight, the Dodgers were taking extra bases. They never let Arizona breathe.
- The Ohtani Factor. Having a guy who can end a game with one swing in the 4th inning changes how managers have to use their pitchers.
The next time these two teams meet—scheduled for March 26, 2026, at Dodger Stadium—the vibes will be different. It’ll be Opening Day. Everyone will be 0-0. But you can bet the Diamondbacks haven't forgotten the sight of Ohtani's ball splashing into their pool.
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To really get ahead of the next season, you should keep an eye on the Diamondbacks' rotation depth. They struggled to find an answer for the Dodgers' top of the order because their middle-relief wasn't up to the task. If they want to flip the script in 2026, they need more than just Zac Gallen; they need a bridge to the 9th inning that doesn't crumble under the pressure of a blue jersey.
Track the spring training ERA of the Diamondbacks' young arms. That's where the real story of the 2026 rivalry will begin.