As the teddy bears in right field, representing Phoenix Children’s Hospital, gazed emotionless upon the players, the Diamondbacks looked as flat as the cardboard fans behind home plate in their Thursday, home-opener, against the Dodgers.

For game two on Friday night, the D-Backs looked to right handed pitcher, Zac Gallen, to cool down the Dodgers who were playing as hot as the 113 degree game-time temperature.

Through the first three innings Gallen struck out four of five batters and recorded five total strikeouts with just one walk and no earned runs.  His early performance gave the D-backs the opportunity to score some runs and take a much needed lead.

Their opportunity was short-lived though, as Gallen’s early dominance couldn’t fool silver slugger Mookie Betts, as he belted a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning after gunning down Ketel Marte who was attempting to stretch a triple at the end of the previous inning.

Betts continued his dominance by driving in designated hitter Max Muncy with a one-out single to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning.

New Diamondback Kole Calhoun made it 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning after his double to right field scored Ketel Marte.

After six complete innings, Zac Gallen finished his night with a total of nine strikeouts and just one walk against two earned runs.  He was replaced by left-handed pitcher, Alex Young in the top of the seventh.

The eighth inning was the most pivotal inning of the contest.

Thing weren’t looking good for the D-Backs after Corey Seager brought the lead back to two runs for the Dodgers with a solo home run in the top of the inning.

But with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame, the game changed completely with one swing of the bat, as Christian Walker cleared the pads with a line-drive double, over the head of gold-glover Mookie Betts, to take their first lead of the series 4-3.

Walker later scored the last run of the game on a short single to left field by David Peralta giving the D-backs a confidence-boosting 5-3 win to tie the series with their division rivals.

In a postgame Zoom interview on MLB Pressbox, Walker talked about his game-changing at bat.

“Anytime they intentionally walk someone in front of you to load the bases — in that situation, not that I’m trying to do more, but I feel definitely a little bit more of an attitude or a chip on my shoulder,” Walker said.  “But it’s for the team — for our team.  I know what this team has been going through and how hard we’ve been playing and just — you know — not getting on the roll that we need.  So to come through and be able to be there for my teammates meant a lot for me tonight.”

During the shortened season, divisional wins are even more crucial as every game impacts a team’s chance for a playoff spot.

Their series against the Dodgers continues today at 5:10 p.m. and wraps up on Sunday, when they will face NL, Cy Young winner, Clayton Kershaw in his 2020 debut.