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May 10, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo against the New York Mets at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks were close to taking Game 2 of their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, but much of the discussion afterward centered on what transpired in the ninth inning.
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Arizona Diamondbacks’ Geraldo Perdomo attempts to lay down a bunt against the Baltimore Orioles at Chase Field in Phoenix on April 8, 2025. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In the bottom of the ninth, the Diamondbacks trailed 6-5 after facing a 6-2 deficit earlier in the game. With one more opportunity to either force extra innings or walk it off, Arizona had Ildemaro Vargas on first base with one out. Geraldo Perdomo, who came off the bench earlier in the game and delivered a crucial single in the seventh inning to help cut the deficit, was back at the plate.
On a 3-1 count, Perdomo decided to bunt in an attempt to beat out the throw and put runners on first and second. However, the bunt was hit too close to Dodgers closer Tanner Scott, and Perdomo was eventually thrown out for the second out of the inning. Although Pavin Smith battled in the next at-bat, he ultimately grounded out, allowing Los Angeles to even the series.
Smith’s groundout sealed the loss, but the final out wasn’t what generated the most discussion afterward.
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May 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) jogs to dugout after scoring a run against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Perdomo’s bunt attempt was controversial among D-Backs fans, many of whom argued that the decision didn’t make sense given the count he was working with and the fact Arizona already had one out in the inning.
Manager Torey Lovullo didn’t believe the shortstop’s decision was necessarily the wrong one, considering Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy was playing far enough back for the bunt to potentially work.
“It’s an instinctual play,” Lovullo said postgame, according to Diamondbacks on SI. “He has the right to do that. And in that situation, if he sees that third baseman back, I’d like to see it either be a base hit or a foul ball. He just bunted it a little bit too close to the pitcher. I don’t want to take anything away from a player that’s between the white lines who sees something. … But you’ve got to execute.”
The bunt attempt also comes amid a difficult stretch for Perdomo at the plate.
After a breakout 2025 campaign, expectations rose for the shortstop entering this season. However, he hasn’t produced at the level many expected. The once-offensive catalyst hasn’t found his rhythm in 2026, batting .224 with a .679 OPS.
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Apr 13, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo (17) walks on the field during a pitch change in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
The bunt attempt wasn’t necessarily out of character for Perdomo, but it does reflect the ongoing struggles of a shortstop searching for ways to impact the game while trying to break out of his slump.
Whether fans agree with the decision or not, the play showcased the pressure Perdomo is facing as he works to find the form that made him one of Arizona’s most important contributors just a season ago.
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Wendy Lopez is a reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on her X account, @wlopezde
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