Off the mat, D-backs snatch series win over Cubs thanks to Eduardo Rodriguez

PHOENIX — Once Ryan Waldschmidt smashed a walk-off home run on Tuesday, the Arizona Diamondbacks were well positioned to win a series against the Chicago Cubs that looked futile 16 innings into it.

Momentum was on their side, but also Eduardo Rodriguez was starting the finale on Wednesday. He played his role as staff ace once again with seven scoreless innings in a 2-0 Diamondbacks victory.

The D-backs went 4-2 on their first homestand since the latest Ketel Marte saga put a spotlight on the organization and its clubhouse. With a 71-63 record, Arizona remains one game behind the third National League Wild Card spot.

The Diamondbacks lost the series opener 7-0 and fell behind 4-0 on Tuesday.

To come back, finish a series win against the NL’s top Wild Card team and remain right on the edge of the playoff bracket was, in manager Torey Lovullo’s words, “massive.”

“Day one, we got our ass kicked by the Cubs,” Lovullo said. “The way we rallied around one another, we won an emotional game yesterday. … It had the feeling that there was a big emotional dump by both teams last night, that it was going to be a race to three. That’s what I was thinking. And it held tight at two. Credit to our pitchers.”

Center fielder Jordan Lawlar, who left Tuesday’s game after getting clocked in the head by a pitch, put the Diamondbacks ahead with a solo shot in the sixth inning to the opposite field against Cubs starter Matthew Boyd. It was his third career home run.

The D-backs tacked on an insurance run in the eighth, and Juan Morillo secured the save.

“We’ve always had it, but we’re just a resilient team,” Lawlar said. “That’s just our DNA, and never-say-Die-mondbacks, it’s a real thing.”

Eduardo Rodriguez picking up steam

The Diamondbacks improved to 21-6 when Rodriguez starts, and he said that Wednesday was the best he had felt all year.

Rodriguez pitched his fifth game this season with at least seven scoreless innings, tied for second in MLB behind Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez.

The lefty has allowed four earned runs over 25.2 innings in his last four starts (1.40 ERA).

“This run has been one of the best runs I’ve ever seen from him,” Lovullo said.

When Rodriguez made the All-Star team this summer, some of his peripheral numbers suggested that some form of regression was coming.

He owned a 2.29 ERA but a 4.09 FIP (fielding-independent pitching). Not only has he shaken off those predictive stats with a 3.00 ERA since the All-Star break, but his peripherals have improved. His strikeouts are up, while his walks and hard-hit rates are down.

On Wednesday, Rodriguez allowed two hits, none until the fifth inning, and struck out nine hitters, which tied a season high.

He induced more whiffs (18) than he had in any game since 2021.

“This is the best I’ve felt all year on the mound,” Rodriguez said. “Everything was working. The fastball location was great. The changeup, the curveball and the cutter, I feel like it was one of those days that you just go up there and follow what the catcher calls.”

“From a hitter’s standpoint, I can relate to it, it feels like standing in the box when somebody is just driving pitches in at you. They feel like they’re 10 feet tall and standing on top of you,” Lovullo said. “And that’s the feeling I think E-Rod has right now, that he can throw anything he wants, and there’s going to be weak contact or swing-and-miss.”

Rodriguez’s 2.50 ERA is tied for fifth in MLB among qualified starters, third in the National League behind Jacob Misiorowski (1.68) and Chris Sale (2.20).

MLB does not have a most improved player award, but the difference a year has made for Rodriguez is staggering (5.67 ERA exactly one year ago).

Was it a balk?

There was an awkward moment in the sixth inning when it looked like Rodriguez took his foot off the rubber and delivered home with Pete Crow-Armstrong on third base.

The umpires convened and concluded that there was no balk, and Crow-Armstrong was held back by third base coach Quintin Berry as he argued the call. Rodriguez stranded Crow-Armstrong on third base by striking out Nico Hoerner.

Rodriguez said he was just trying to go quick to home plate, but the umpires admitted that they missed the call postgame, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.

“He started running in, I just went quick pitch, and that’s it,” Rodriguez said.

PCA couldn't believe this was not a balk. pic.twitter.com/OkQgLV001O

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 26, 2026

The D-backs took advantage of another break during a stretch when so much has gone against them, as they did with Gabriel Moreno’s check-swing double in the eighth inning of their comeback on Tuesday.

Lawlar went deep to lead off the bottom of the sixth.

Brandyn Garcia threw a scoreless eighth inning, striking out Crow-Armstrong, to set up Morillo to lock it down.

Wednesday attendance

24,297

Diamondbacks vs. Giants next

The Diamondbacks head to San Francisco for a quirky four-game series. Instead of playing Thursday through Sunday, the NL West rivals will play a doubleheader on Saturday.

Jose Cabrera will be called up to start the opener.

First pitch on Thursday is at 6:45 p.m. MST on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.

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