What Eduardo Rodriguez Just Did Against Dodgers is Hard to Believe

The Arizona Diamondbacks came away with a high-intensity victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday afternoon by a score of 4-2. It was a strong team effort, but it likely could not have happened without the efforts of left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.

What Rodriguez did against one of the highest-output offenses in the game was borderline unfathomable. It went beyond the box score of seven innings and two earned runs.

That's simply been the type of season he's had in 2026. But Sunday's start was more than a strong quality start from Arizona's All-Star left-hander.

"What can you say about E-Rod?" manager Torey Lovullo said postgame. "It was just real good stuff. It looked like he kept emptying his tank late in the outing. I saw his velo climb in that last [inning] up to 93."

"That's preparing. That's a willingness to go out there and get the job done, and grind it out for his boys, and make a sacrifice for this group. And it wasn't easy for him. I know that. He's gonna say it is."

Diamondbacks' Eduardo Rodriguez dominates Dodgers once again

Aug 4, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez in the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rodriguez entered Sunday's game with a strong 2026 track record against LA. He'd only given up three earned runs over the course of three starts facing the Dodgers; Arizona had won two of those three games.

Though the left-hander did give up two runs on Sunday, it was — without a doubt — the most high-quality performance he'd put forward against LA.

Rodriguez threw seven innings, allowing five base hits and two walks. That sounds like a relatively standard (albeit strong) start, but then there are two other numbers. For one, Rodriguez punched out nine Dodgers hitters. That blew away his season-high strikeout total and was his most in a single game since he struck out 10 in June of 2025.

And then, there was Rodriguez's pitch count. After six innings, he sat at 97 pitches. He came back out for the seventh, and after an 11-pitch battle with Enrique Hernandez, remained on the mound. Rodriguez was able to bear down and get both Miguel Rojas and Shohei Ohtani out, which put his final pitch count at 115.

Sunday's performance was, by far, the lengthiest start of the Rodriguez's season in terms of pitches thrown, with his previous high being 105.

"We always fight about this," Lovullo said. "He wants to throw 130 pitches every time he goes out there. But it's simply not what we want him ever to do. And today we needed him to [throw 115] and he did."

And so, Arizona's strange ability to take down the Dodgers continued, thanks to the grit of their veteran southpaw, whose ERA now sits at 2.70. There's no denying Arizona would be in a much different place this year without Rodriguez.

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