What Diamondbacks rookie Ryan Waldschmidt said after clutch walk-off HR vs. Dodgers

The Arizona Diamondbacks watched Ryan Waldschmidt deliver a signature moment Friday night when the rookie launched a two-run walk-off home run to secure a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field.

Arizona headed into the bottom of the ninth, trailing 3-2. Max Kepler opened the inning with a walk against Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz, and Jorge Barrosa replaced him as a pinch runner. Tim Tawa struck out before Barrosa stole second, bringing Waldschmidt to the plate with the tying run in scoring position.

The Diamondbacks outfielder crushed a slider from Diaz, sending it 411 feet into the left-center-field stands. It was his second major league home run and extended Arizona’s winning streak against the Dodgers to five games. Waldschmidt shared his postgame reaction with MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert, who later included the rookie’s comments in a report on the league’s official website.

“I started sprinting, and if it didn’t get out, I was going to try and get to third, because there was only one out and it makes it a lot easier on the next guy to walk it off,” Waldschmidt said. “So I started sprinting, and then I heard everyone kind of go crazy, and I looked up, and both the outfielders were just looking into the stands. So I was like, ‘That’s pretty sweet.’”

The victory improved Arizona to 62-55 and moved the Diamondbacks into a tie with the Philadelphia Phillies for the second National League Wild Card position. The club moved two games ahead of the San Diego Padres, the first team outside the playoff field.

The Diamondbacks have gone 17-8 over their last 25 games, a surge that began with a three-game sweep of the Dodgers in Los Angeles before the All-Star break. That stretch has pushed Arizona firmly into the 2026 MLB postseason race.

Waldschmidt’s reaction added another layer to the finish. Rather than admiring the drive, he immediately sprinted out of the batter’s box. Moments later, he realized his swing had completed Arizona’s comeback and delivered the first walk-off home run of his major league career.

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