Athletics Rally but Bow to Diamondbacks in Extras

Jacob Wilson of the Athletics getting hit by a pitch against the Diamondbacks

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

July 21, 2026

Diamondbacks 6, Athletics 5 (10 innings)

PHOENIX — A pair of tenth-inning bases-loaded singles — one by Nolan Arenado and the other by Ildemaro Vargas — brought home the tying and winning runs for the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving them a 10th-inning walkoff win over the visiting Athletics Tuesday night.

The Diamondbacks led most of the game until Jacob Wilson hit a game-tying two-run homer with two outs in the ninth off closer Paul Sewald. In the tenth, the Athletics took the lead with a manufactured run despite suffering a 1-2-3 inning thanks to the automatic runner on second to start the inning. However, the Diamondbacks rallied in the bottom of the inning to send the Athletics to a frustrating loss.

Athletics starting pitcher Jack Perkins gave up three runs on five hits across five innings. He walked one and struck out four. His Diamondbacks counterpart, Kohl Drake, allowed one run on four hits across five innings. Drake, making his major league debut, walked two and struck out five.

Athletics – Diamondbacks Game Summary

The Diamondbacks took a 3–0 lead in the bottom of the first on a three-run homer by Max Kepler. Two innings later, the Athletics got one back after Lawrence Butler and Alika Williams led off with a triple and a single, respectively. They could have had more, however, loading the bases with nobody out. But an atom-ball liner to short by Shea Langeliers and a Jonah Heim ground-ball double play limited them to the single run.

A seventh-inning sacrifice fly by Ketel Marte made the score 4–1. Langeliers belted a 444-foot missile to left in the eighth to make the score 4–2. That score held until the top of the ninth with two outs. Facing Sewald, Donovan Walton ripped a triple to right-center. Three pitches later, Wilson smashed his game-tying two-run homer to left, angering most of the 19,709 in attendance.

The Athletics took the lead in the 10th despite all three batters making an out. A slow grounder to short moved the automatic runner to third before Heim skied a sacrifice fly to deep center. In the bottom half, Luis Medina walked the first two batters, loading the bases for Arenado. His single to shallow center brought home the automatic runner, Corbin Carroll. Two batters later, Vargas won the game for the Diamondbacks with his single to left, scoring Gabriel Moreno for the winning run.

What Went Right for the Athletics

White Stayed Hot

On the heels on a four-hit game Monday, Tommy White added two more hits Tuesday.

Ninth-inning Comeback

The Athletics, one out away from losing, smashed a triple and a homer in the ninth to tie the game.

Second through Fifth Innings

After the rough first inning, Perkins settled in and pitched four scoreless innings. “After that first inning, he settled in,” manager Mark Kotsay said of Perkins. Kotsay added, “He pitched effectively.”

What Went Wrong for the Athletics

The First Inning

Perkins walked Marte and gave up a single to Moreno in the first before the only major mistake pitch he through. According to Kotsay, Perkins went for a back-foot slider on Kepler but hung it. Perkins said postgame, “One mistake to Kepler there that, if I get it down or throw the changeup or whatever, I think the box score is a little bit different.” He later added, “That first inning really came down to execution with that one sweeper. And if that execution’s better, like I said, I think the box score would be a little bit different.”

Atom Ball Syndrome

The Athletics loaded the bases in the third and had runners on first and second in the eighth. In the third, they had nobody out; in the eighth, they had one out. In both cases, they left empty-handed due to hard-hit balls that went directly at a defender. In the third, the Langeliers liner came off the bat at 102.4 mph but went directly to Perdomo. The double-play ball Heim hit went 94 mph but straight to the sure-handed Arenado, who rolled the side-retiring double play. In the eighth, the McNeil double-play ball was hit even harder, going 97.5 mph. That one, however, went directly to Vargas on two hops for another textbook double play.

Command

Geoff Hartlieb had trouble finding the zone in the seventh. Medina had the same trouble in the tenth, leading to the loaded bases before the Arenado and Vargas singles. In all, Athletics pitchers combined to walk seven. “Too many walks,” Kotsay said. “We’ve talked a lot about that, free bases killing us. We gave up a run late, added on for them, and it ended up coming back to hurt us. And then there in the 10th, the two walks put Medina in a real tough spot there to get out of.”

Looking Ahead

Kevin Ginkel (4–3) got the win for the Diamondbacks as Medina (2–2) took the loss for the Athletics, both in relief.

The Athletics (43–58) and Diamondbacks (52–49) will play the third game of their three-game series Wednesday afternoon. Rookie Athletics left-hander Gage Jump (3–5, 3.78 ERA) will start against veteran Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly (7–8, 5.20 ERA). First pitch will be at 12:40 pm Pacific Time.