D-backs' Torey Lovullo Had Blunt Message After Ugly Sweep vs Dodgers

The Arizona Diamondbacks began their 2026 season on a dismal note, as they were swept out of Dodger Stadium in three games for the first time in a series opener since 1999.

It was exactly the type of outcome the D-backs were hoping to avoid — Dodgers or not.

Manager Torey Lovullo, speaking with D-backs.TV's Todd Walsh on the postgame broadcast, gave his assessment of the brutal opening series.

"We won a lot of innings of baseball over the course of this three-game series, yet we're 0-3, so that's frustrating," he said. "It's very frustrating, but the Dodgers are built this way. We know it, we knew it coming in, and we knew it would be that type of baseball game."

"This is a tough series, no doubt about it. I did not think we would be coming home 0-3, but we are. We've got to understand why it happened, accept why it happened, get better, and get ready for a very, very spirited Monday opening day [at Chase Field]."

Diamondbacks suffer brutal loss to Dodgers

Sep 26, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Juan Morillo (67) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images

It wasn't just the loss, it was another tough, heartbreaking loss. As the team did so many times in 2025, Arizona led by a thin margin as late as the eighth inning, until a two-run homer by Will Smith flipped the score on its head.

A seven-pitch at-bat between Smith and righty Juan Morillo was all Los Angeles needed.

"[Smith] was just chipping away at pitches that looked like they were thrown in a really good location, so give Juan credit, and he was waiting for a mistake," Lovullo said.

"They've got three or four guys that are built for a big moment, and Will Smith is one of them. ... it's the last thing I thought was gonna happen, he's gonna hit a two-run home run to win the game, but unfortunately it happened."

The Diamondbacks still have a very long season ahead. As poor as some of the pitching performances have been thus far, it's not nothing that Arizona will be heading home, leaving the terrors of the NL West behind.

The D-backs will take on the Detroit Tigers in their home opener, beginning a three-game set on Monday after an off-day on Sunday. Though the Tigers are certainly no easy matchup, it's not quite the same as being forced to play the Dodgers on the road.

"Our crowd will be waiting for us, we can't wait to come home," Lovullo said.