MLB Game Night: Dodgers Dominate Diamondbacks with Power Surge While Twins and Pirates Thrill Fans with Dramatic Walkoff Victories

MLB Game Night delivered fireworks across the country as the Los Angeles Dodgers flexed their offensive muscle in a dominant win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, while the Minnesota Twins and Pittsburgh Pirates treated their home fans to electric walkoff victories. With high stakes and packed stadiums, Tuesday night’s action underscored the drama and emotion that defines baseball in May.

In Los Angeles, the stars came out to shine under the Chavez Ravine lights. Facing a Diamondbacks team trying to claw their way back into the National League West picture, the Dodgers made a loud statement with their bats. It began early, as Mookie Betts led off the game with a double, and just two pitches later, Shohei Ohtani crushed a towering two-run home run to right-center field. The shot was Ohtani’s ninth of the season and showcased the effortless power he brings to the Dodgers’ already stacked lineup.

Freddie Freeman followed with a single, and after a strikeout by Max Muncy, catcher Will Smith joined the home run parade with a line-drive shot over the left-field wall. The first inning ended with the Dodgers up 4-0, and it felt like the rout was on from there.

Arizona starter Ryne Nelson never found his rhythm. After giving up six earned runs in just 2.1 innings, he exited to a chorus of boos from the scattered Diamondbacks fans in the crowd. The Dodgers weren’t done, though. In the fourth, Betts walked and promptly stole second, his seventh stolen base of the year. Ohtani then laced a double down the right-field line, bringing Betts home and recording his third RBI of the game.

Freeman added another double, scoring Ohtani, and the Dodgers led 8-1 before the fourth inning concluded. The offense didn’t slow, as Jason Heyward launched a solo home run in the sixth, and even utility man Kiké Hernández got in on the action with a two-run triple in the seventh. When the dust settled, the Dodgers had blasted their way to a 12-3 victory, finishing with 15 hits and five extra-base knocks.

On the mound, Walker Buehler made his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery and looked more comfortable than he had in his debut. Though he gave up a two-run homer to Christian Walker in the second inning, Buehler finished five innings with seven strikeouts, walking none. He mixed his fastball and curveball effectively, locating pitches with confidence, and received a standing ovation as he exited in the sixth.

“Every start I’m feeling more like myself,” Buehler told reporters after the game. “But when you’ve got this kind of offense behind you, it makes the job easier.”

Manager Dave Roberts echoed the sentiment. “We’re built to do damage, and tonight was a reminder of that,” Roberts said. “Ohtani and Freeman set the tone, and when everyone feeds off that energy, we’re tough to stop.”

While the Dodgers were hammering the Diamondbacks in L.A., a pair of thrilling walkoff wins played out in Minnesota and Pittsburgh, injecting drama and passion into the night’s action.

At Target Field, the Twins hosted the Seattle Mariners in a tight pitchers’ duel that saw both teams scratching for runs. Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo each went six strong innings, allowing just one run apiece. Minnesota’s bullpen, led by Griffin Jax and Caleb Thielbar, held the Mariners at bay through the late innings, while Seattle’s relievers did the same.

With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Trevor Larnach stepped to the plate against Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz. Larnach, who had been mired in a slump, took two fastballs to fall behind in the count. On a 1-2 pitch, he turned on a high fastball and launched it into the right-field stands, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. It was his fourth home run of the season and easily his biggest, securing a 3-2 walkoff win for the Twins and ending a two-game skid.

“That one felt great,” Larnach said with a grin in the postgame interview. “You always believe in yourself, but it’s a huge relief when you deliver in that moment. I just wanted to put a good swing on the ball.”

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli praised Larnach’s resilience. “He’s been grinding, but he never let it affect his approach,” Baldelli said. “Tonight was a reminder of the kind of hitter he can be.”

Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, the Pirates welcomed the Milwaukee Brewers for a crucial NL Central showdown. The game had everything—clutch hitting, solid pitching, and late-inning heroics that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

Mitch Keller turned in a quality start for the Pirates, giving up three runs over seven innings while striking out nine. He was matched by Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta, who also went seven innings and limited the Pirates to two runs. The Brewers held a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth when Pirates catcher Henry Davis reached on an infield single.

Jack Suwinski followed with a double into the right-field gap, putting runners on second and third with no outs. The crowd rose to its feet as Ji Hwan Bae stepped into the box. He chopped a grounder to second, and the Brewers nearly turned two, but Bae’s hustle forced an errant throw from Willy Adames that skipped past first base, allowing both Davis and Suwinski to score. Just like that, the Pirates had walked it off, 4-3, in front of an elated home crowd.

“That’s the kind of effort we preach,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “Suwinski taking the extra base, Bae running hard down the line—it’s the little things that win games like this.”

The win kept Pittsburgh in the thick of the division race and provided a momentum boost as they prepare for a critical stretch of games. It also marked their third walkoff win of the season and their second against the Brewers.

Not to be overlooked, other games around the league featured standout performances. In Atlanta, the Braves downed the Cubs behind a two-homer night from Marcell Ozuna, who continues his power surge in 2025. The Yankees topped the Rays in Tampa, with Juan Soto hitting a moonshot to dead center and Gerrit Cole turning in seven scoreless innings in his second start since returning from the injured list.

In Philadelphia, Bryce Harper’s go-ahead double in the eighth lifted the Phillies past the Blue Jays, and the Houston Astros edged the Giants 5-4 thanks to a Kyle Tucker three-run homer in the sixth. Even the lowly White Sox found a reason to celebrate, as Eloy Jiménez hit a game-winning sacrifice fly in the 10th to defeat the Nationals.

Back in Los Angeles, however, the night belonged to the Dodgers. Their comprehensive victory over the Diamondbacks not only showcased their offensive firepower but also sent a message to the rest of the league—they are serious contenders, and when their stars are locked in, there may not be a more dangerous team in baseball.

With Ohtani adjusting seamlessly to life in Dodger blue, Freeman and Betts continuing to play like MVP candidates, and young pitchers like Buehler returning to form, the Dodgers are rounding into shape at the perfect time. For the Diamondbacks, the loss served as a humbling reminder of the gap between good teams and great ones. Arizona still has the talent to contend, but they’ll need to regroup quickly.

As for the Twins and Pirates, their walkoff wins underscored the importance of grit and execution in the late innings. In a game often decided by inches and seconds, those small moments—a hustle down the line, a perfectly timed swing—can make all the difference.

MLB Game Night was more than just a slate of games. It was a reminder of baseball’s unpredictability, its theater, and the way the game can turn heroes out of anyone on any given night. From coast to coast, from towering homers to infield hustle, Tuesday’s action proved once again why baseball endures—and why fans keep coming back, night after night.