Diamondbacks bullpen holds on to clinch series at Guardians after Paul Sewald shelled

The Diamondbacks were well on their way to blowing out the Guardians before Paul Sewald’s first appearance since Tuesday gave Cleveland late life, as Arizona held on for a 12-8 win on Saturday.

Sewald entered the eighth inning with Arizona up 10-2 and after a first-pitch home run and four straight singles allowed by the former D-backs closer, the lead was down to 10-5 with bases loaded and no outs for Kevin Ginkel.

Ginkel kept the damage from getting out of hand but allowed two runs through on a single with two outs left.

It was Sewald’s first appearance since his collapse in Pittsburgh when he gave up three runs in the ninth inning and the game went to extras. Arizona went on to win the contest in 12 innings despite the blown save.

The Diamondbacks have gone closer-by-matchup since then, with lefty Brandyn Garcia earning a pair of saves in consecutive games Wednesday and Friday. The Arizona bullpen had pitched 10 straight innings without allowing a run since the 10th inning on Tuesday up until Sewald’s appearance Saturday.

The win clinched the series in Cleveland and gave Arizona its fourth straight win and its 14th in the last 19 games.

All three teams in the National League Wild Card spots won Saturday and kept the gaps at five games to the Chicago Cubs in the first slot and one game to the Philadelphia Phillies behind Arizona.

Diamondbacks hang 7 spot on Guardians in 7th

Geraldo Perdomo’s solo homer broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning, and the D-backs piled it on a spotty Cleveland defense from there. Three walks were issued by Guardians pitchers in the frame, including two via hit by pitch.

Corbin Carroll put an exclamation mark on the inning with his 16th home run of the year (his 300th career RBI), a three-run shot with two outs that gave Arizona a 9-2 lead after entering the inning tied.

Corbin “Corbin Carroll” Carroll pic.twitter.com/8h5Z0CEe9h

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 2, 2026

Ildemaro Vargas and James McCann had the other RBI knocks in the inning.

Nolan Arenado hit an eighth-inning home run for insurance that was more significant than it initially seemed, coming ahead of the five runs allowed in the bottom of the frame. The D-backs added two more runs in the top of the ninth.

Arizona is 59-52 with just the series finale in Cleveland between the Diamondbacks and the MLB trade deadline at 3 p.m. MST on Monday.

Catch Sunday’s series finale at 10:40 a.m. on the Arizona Sports app or 98.7.

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