Eduardo Rodriguez Hurls Gem for 100th Career Victory

The D-backs offense woke up in support of their veteran left-hander for an easy victory

Jun 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (57) throws in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

One could almost feel the entire Arizona Diamondbacks dugout, along with the 28,433 fans at Chase Feld exhale with a sigh of relief as Corbin Carroll's grand slam cleared the wall in the bottom of the second inning.

HELLO?!?! HE SHOULD BE AN ALL-STAR.

⭐️: https://t.co/4SLoL8HfgQ pic.twitter.com/MqiejxumWY

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 17, 2026

That blast punctuated a five run frame, breaking a 1-1 tie, and the D-backs never looked back on their way to an 8-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

"The dugout felt an immediate sigh of relief and it took the air out of some very tense moments and games over the past 12-14 days," said manager Torey Lovullo.

The D-backs offense has been in a three-week slump and ranked last in MLB for the month of June. Despite that, the victory sealed a series win, their second in a row, and improved their record to 38-36.

Eduardo Rodriguez Fabulous in Reaching Career Milestone

Jun 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (57) throws in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

But it was Eduardo Rodriguez's star that shone brightest during the matinee game. After allowing a leadoff homer to Zach Neto in the first inning, Rodriguez completely shut down the Angels offense for the next seven innings.

Rodriguez retired the side in order in the second and fifth innings, and got out of a two-on, two-out jam in the sixth with a double play and strikeout. He finished strong with a strikeout in the seventh, stranding runners on first and third.

Rodriguez final line was 7 IP, 6H, 1 ER, 3BB, 5K, 1 HR. That lowered his ERA to 2.45. Rodriguez made heavy use of his four-seam fastball, tossing it up there 56% of the time. He generated seven whiffs and only allowed one hard-hit ball on the pitch.

Rodriguez now ranks fifth in the National League in ERA and his record improved to 6-2. That gave him 100 career victories for his career. Speaking on the D-backs.TV broadcast, Rodriguez was asked how it felt to get his 100th win after pitching for more than 10 years.

"You tell me I've been here for more than 10 years, so I love it. I remember the first one that I threw in Texas, and now I just throw the 100 here today. That's something really special for me, and I just hope to keep winning more," Rodriguez said.

While some other pitchers have more impressive strikeout totals and peripheral metrics, the veteran left-hander deserves serious consideration for an All-Star berth.

This is the fifth time Rodriguez has gone seven innings or more, and his eighth quality start in 15 outings. He said when he saw Carroll hit his home run he was determined to go seven innings.

"I was just thinking, I'm going to go as long as I can in the game, and I went seven innings, and that's just special," the big lefty said.

He, along with Michael Soroka, have anchored the rotation while Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly continue to struggle. Simply put, the D-backs' season would be a mess without Rodriguez's stellar first half.

The D-backs Offense Wakes Up

Jun 14, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Tommy Troy (9) high fives teammates after hitting a solo home run in the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

When Carroll came up with the bases loaded they had already scored one run and had been putting pressure on Angels starter Sam Aldegheri. A 29-pitch first inning resulted in zero runs, but the tone had been set.

Tommy Troy hit a two-out triple, driving in his first run of the game. Ketel Marte was hit by a pitch and Geraldo Perdomo walked, setting up the Carroll grand slam. It was Carroll's 13th homer of the year, upping his RBI total to 38.

Jordan Lawlar doubled in the third inning and scored on Tory's second hit, a bloop single to center. Lawlar was in the middle of it again in the fifth inning, getting a check-swing base hit after an Ildemaro Vargas walk. Ketel Marte drove them both home with a double to cap the D-backs scoring. The D-backs had 11 hits, and were 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

An off day Thursday will give the D-backs a chance to catch their breath before they begin a weekend series against the Minnesota Twins starting Friday night.