Teoscar Hernández singles in go-ahead run in 9th, lifting Dodgers over D-backs, 6-5

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Teoscar Hernández singled in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning for his third RBI of the game, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 on Tuesday night.

The Dodgers scored two runs with two outs to salvage a game in which they owned leads of 2-0 and 4-3.

“We're never going to be out of it,” Hernández said. “We're always going to be fighting until the last out.”

Paul Sewald (0-1) struck out Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani before Will Smith doubled to center on a ball that caromed off the wall. Smith scored the tying run on Freddie Freeman’s two-strike double to right, handing Sewald his first blown save in 12 chances this season.

“I trusted my players,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said, “we just didn't execute.”

Joc Pederson's solo shot on an 0-2 pitch from Evan Phillips (1-0) in the top of the ninth put Arizona ahead, 5-4.

The D-backs tied the game in the eighth. Gabriel Moreno walked and pinch-hitter Jake McCarthy followed with a bunt single to reliever Blake Treinen, who was slow to field the ball. Moreno scored the go-ahead run on Treinen’s throwing error to second.

In the seventh, Ohtani blasted a two-run drive that lifted the Dodgers to a 4-3 lead. His 27th homer of the season traveled 433 feet to right-center on Japanese Heritage Night. Lux, who drew a leadoff walk from Justin Martinez, also scored.

“All night long we fought, we took good at-bats and then just not relenting,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It doesn't help my quality of life waiting for the seventh inning to come alive with the bats. Better late than never.”

The sellout crowd of 52,931 responded with cheers and chants of “MVP!” for the two-time AL MVP.

Ohtani fouled a pitch off his right foot leading off the third, flipping his bat as he grimaced in pain. Two trainers and Roberts came out to check on him. Ohtani did a small sprint toward first to test out his foot and stayed in the game.

Ketel Marte's go-ahead RBI single in the seventh gave the D-backs a 3-2 lead.

The D-backs had just two runners on base — both via walk — through three innings. Then they got to Bobby Miller with four consecutive hits in the fourth. Christian Walker’s 18th homer, a 402-foot shot to center, tied it at 2.

It was Walker’s 15th career homer at Dodger Stadium, all since 2018 and more than any other visiting player in that time. He tied Cody Bellinger for the most homers in any player’s first 40 games at the third-oldest ballpark in the majors.

Hernandez's first two RBIs gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. He doubled home Ohtani with two outs in the first. Hernández drove in Smith when he grounded into a fielder's choice to pitcher Ryne Nelson in the third.

Joe Mantiply started the bullpen game for the D-backs.

TRAINER'S ROOM

D-backs: Placed LHP Jordan Montgomery (right knee inflammation) on 10-day IL, a day before his scheduled start. ... Reinstated OF Alek Thomas (strained left hamstring) and C Gabriel Moreno (left thumb sprain) from the IL.

Dodgers: INF Mookie Betts (broken hand) threw and ran. ... LHP Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) will throw a bullpen Wednesday and could make his next rehab start soon. ... RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (strained rotator cuff) is pain-free, but there's no timetable for him to resume throwing.

UP NEXT

The D-backs had not announced a starter for Wednesday against Dodgers rookie RHP Gavin Stone (9-2, 2.73 ERA), who is coming off a shutout against the Chicago White Sox.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Joc Pederson celebrates his solo home run with Geraldo Perdomo during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernandez, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off single to score Freddie Freeman during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, left, celebrates his go-ahead two-run home run with Teoscar Hernandez during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani celebrates his go-ahead two-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno, left, slides home past Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith to score off a bunt single by Jake McCarthy during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno celebrates scoring off a bunt single by Jake McCarthy during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Bobby Miller throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Ryne Nelson follows through on a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte throws out Los Angeles Dodgers' Gavin Lux at first during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Christian Walker celebrates hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Christian Walker celebrates hitting a two-run home run with designated hitter Joc Pederson, who also scored, during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, front center, speaks with interpreter Will Ireton, head athletic trainer Thomas Albert, and manager Dave Roberts, from left, after being hit by a foul tip during the third inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani reacts after being hit by a foul tip during the third inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are sticking near their records Friday following a highly anticipated report on the job market that showed a slowdown in hiring and contained nuggets of data for both optimists and pessimists.

The S&P 500 was virtually unchanged in its first trading after the Fourth of July holiday, following two straight days where it set all-time highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 94 points, or 0.2%, as of 10:15 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was adding 0.4% to its own record.

The action was a bit more decisive in the bond market, where Treasury yields sank following the nuanced U.S. jobs report. Employers hired more workers last month than economists expected, but the number was still a slowdown from May’s hiring. Plus, the unemployment rate unexpectedly ticked higher, and the U.S. government said hiring in earlier months was lower than it had previously indicated.

Altogether, the data reinforced belief on Wall Street that the U.S. economy’s growth is slowing under the weight of high interest rates. That’s precisely what investors want to see, because a slowdown would keep a lid on inflation and could push the Federal Reserve to begin cutting its main interest rate.

The question is whether the Federal Reserve can time its next moves precisely, where it lowers rates early and significantly enough to keep the slowdown from sliding into a recession but not so much that it allows inflation to regain strength and take off again.

The clearest takeaway from the jobs report for traders was that it would help push the Fed to cut its main interest rate later this year, likely in September. The two-year Treasury yield, which closely tracks expectations for Fed action, fell to 4.63% from 4.71% late Wednesday.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which is the centerpiece of the bond market, fell to 4.31% from 4.36%.

Friday’s jobs report follows a mass of data showing a slowdown across the U.S. economy. Reports earlier this week said business activity in both the U.S. services and manufacturing sectors contracted last month, turning in weaker readings than economists expected. And U.S. shoppers at the lower end of the income spectrum have been showing how difficult it is to keep up with still-rising prices, as balances owed on credit cards swell.

“What matters for long-term investors is whether fears of a recession become a reality,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. “We think it’s unlikely we’ll see a recession this year or next, but that doesn’t mean the markets won’t fear one.”

On Wall Street, gold miner Newmont rose 1.4% for one of the bigger gains in the S&P 500. It benefited from a 0.7% tick higher for the price of gold, which usually benefits from falling interest rates. That's because bonds paying high yields can pull investors away from gold, which pays its holders nothing.

Modest gains for some big, influential stocks also helped support the market, even though the majority of stocks within the S&P 500 fell. Apple rose 1.5%, and Microsoft added 1.2%.

Amazon rose 1% after the announcement of a deal where the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue will buy Neiman Marcus Group for $2.65 billion. Amazon will hold a minority stake in the deal.

On the losing end of Wall Street were companies tied closely to cryptocurrency activity, as bitcoin tumbled below $56,000 from nearly $63,000 early this week. The cryptocurrency's value is back to where it was in February.

Coinbase Global fell 4.6%, and Robinhood Markets dropped 2.9%.

In stock markets abroad, London’s FTSE 100 fell 0.5% after U.K. voters ushered in a new regime by throwing out Conservatives in this week’s national election.

The United Kingdom experienced a run of turbulent years during Conservative rule that left many voters pessimistic about their country’s future. The U.K.’s exit from the European Union followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine battered the economy. Rising poverty and cuts to state services have led to gripes about “Broken Britain.”

Germany’s DAX rose 0.2% after the government agreed on a budget for 2025 and a stimulus package for Europe’s largest economy, ending a monthslong squabble that threatened to upend Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left coalition.

The disagreements had fueled speculation that the already unpopular government could collapse and prompt a snap parliamentary election in which Germany could follow other European countries by swinging toward the political right.

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 topped 41,000 early Friday to rise above its record closing level set on Thursday, but it ended the day marginally lower.

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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

FILE - The New York Stock Exchange is seen on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. Shares advanced Friday, July 5, 2024, in Europe after Britain's Labour Party prevailed over the Conservatives in this week's national election. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)

The New York Stock Exchange is seen on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. Wall Street is leaning toward minuscule gains before the bell ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

A passerby walks past an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index, right, at a securities firm Thursday, July 4, 2024 in Tokyo. Japan’s Nikkei 225 benchmark closed Thursday at a fresh record high of 40,913.65, pushing past its most recent record close set in March. (Kyodo News via AP)

FILE - A person walks past at an electronic stock board showing Japan's stock prices at a securities firm in Tokyo, June 27, 2024. Asian shares were mostly lower on Friday, July 5, after solid gains in Europe overnight, while U.S. markets were closed for the July 4th holiday. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama, File)

FILE - A person walks past at an electronic stock board showing financial indexes including Japan's Nikkei 225 index, green, at a securities firm in Tokyo, June 27, 2024. Asian shares were mostly lower on Friday, July 5, after solid gains in Europe overnight, while U.S. markets were closed for the July 4th holiday. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama, File)