You expected, perhaps, anything else?
Everybody loves a good comeback story. And in the history of the Diamondbacks, there have been few more miraculous victories, snatched from the jaws of defeat than on June 5th. But Arizona do seem to be particularly good at this kind of thing. Over the twenty-four seasons since our World Series Game 7 win in 2001 – itself a masterpiece in the genre – there have been just two MLB games where the victorious team came back from a Win Probability (per Baseball Reference) of one-tenth of one percent or less. The Diamondbacks were the winners in both of them. Once was the 2011 game where we came back from 6-1 down with two down in the 10th, to walk-off on Ryan Roberts’ slam.
The other was this contest, where the margin was slightly bigger – a six run deficit – but Arizona has a whole two outs left to play with. This game had also been worse for longer. Brandon Pfaafdt has one of “those” outings, lasting only three innings, and giving up six earned runs. With one out in the bottom of the third inning, after that sixth run crossed the plate Atlanta, Arizona’s Win Probability was already down to just four percent. They did half that deficit in the fourth, but Tommy Henry also had one of “those” outings, allowing three home-runs over four innings, in relief of Pfaadt. The D-backs entered the ninth 10-4 down, and in need of a miracle.
It’s interesting to read through comments in the Gameday Thread. Understandably, things went a bit quiet in the middle innings: it was an East coast day game, and so people largely found other things to do. That included me, who was over in London on vacation, and was on his way to see the ABBA: Voyage show. But then, after Eugenio Suarez went down swinging for the first out… The AnswerBacks came back, in no uncertain fashion. They scored seven runs on six hits and three walks against a shellshocked Braves’ bullpen, who needed to throw 41 pitches to get three outs, as the D-backs sent 11 men to the plate.
This was the fourth time Arizona had scored 7+ runs in the ninth, and was certainly the most dramatic. The franchise record there is actually eight runs, back in 1992 against the Marlins. But that was only putting the icing on a 12-2 win. The previous most dramatic was probably a 2006 game in Denver, which entered the ninth in an unexpectedly well-pitched 1-1 tie. Arizona scored seven in the top of the inning, including a grand-slam by Chad Tracy, to take an 8-1 lead. However, Coors gonna Coors. Colorado came back to plate six with two out in their half, before Jorge Julio finally stranded the tying run in scoring position.
What they said
“I was like a proud dad watching a bunch of Little Leaguers go out there and get the job done. That’s what I can honestly say I felt in the dugout. You’re hanging on and hoping they turn things around, and they did it with one at-bat after another. Gurriel with the home run just seemed to give us some energy, and all the sudden, you have [Suárez], one of our top run producers, in the box with the tying run on base, and he comes through. It was a magical moment for this team.” — Torey Lovullo
“I started that inning with a strikeout. I was a little bit mad in the dugout thinking about chase and sliders and all that stuff. When you see your teammates building on like that, I said, ‘I might get another [at-bat].’ Iglesias, I know how he pitches. I know his stuff. I was just looking for something right there and not [trying] to do too much and don’t try to be a big hero, just put a ball in play. Thank God I hit a double down the line, and we won the game.” — Eugenio Suarez
“Everything was falling our way and we just did a good job of passing it to the next guy and passing it to the next guy. It was really cool to be a part of. I’m glad we came out on the positive side of it.” — Alek Thomas
“We scored 11 runs and didn’t lose!” — our recap.
For remarkably, the D-backs had scored 11+ runs three times in regulation to that point – and had lost every one of those games, going down 11-13, 11-14 and 12-14. And speaking of the first of those…
Loss of the year
We also had a poll to decide what was the most soul-crushing defeat suffered by the D-backs in 2025 – there were no shortage of candidates there. The winner was another epic comeback, this one which ended up in defeat. It was the game on April 18 in Chicago, where Arizona came into the top of the eighth 7-1 down. However, they sent thirteen men to the plate, scoring ten for only the fifth time in franchise history. But the bullpen immediately coughed up a six-spot to blow it. It was only the second time since 1933, that any team in the majors had scored double-digits in an inning, and still gone on to lose in regulation. Yeah, seems like a worthy “winner” there!
Previous winners
- 2024: 3/30, Bee-movie with a happy ending vs. Los Angeles
- 2023: 9/16, 7-6 (13) vs. Cubs – The Longest Day + NLCS Game 7, 10/24 ‐ 4-2 @ Phillies
- 2022: 8/29: 7-run deficit? No problem!
- 2021: 4/25, 2-for-1 special vs. Atlanta
- 2020: 8/18 – Acing the A’s
- 2019: 9/24, The Never-Ending Story
- 2018: 4/2 vs. LAD – the longest night
- 2017: 4/2 – Opening Day comebacks
- 2016: 8/11 – 9-0 @ NYM – Slaying Thor
- 2015: 4/11 – Archie Bradley debut vs LAD, crushing Kershaw
- 2014: 5/17 – Killing Kershaw
- 2013: 4/3 – Diamondbacks 10, Cardinals 9 (16 inn)
- 2012: 4/8, Comeback from six down vs. San Francisco
- 2011: 9/27 vs. Dodgers, 10th-inning resurrection
- 2010: 8/11, Your Arizona Diamondback-to-back-to-back-to-backs, vs. MIL
- 2009: 6/7, the game without end, vs SDP
- 2008: 7/3: Matinee miracle vs. MIL
- 2007: 5/19, comeback vs. PIT
Category: General Sports
