Austin Barnes belted a two-run home run and Miguel Vargas singled in the go-ahead run during a five-run eighth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 6-5 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a split doubleheader on Tuesday.
Barnes had three hits for the Dodgers (103-44), who have won five straight. Los Angeles improved to 13-3 against Arizona this season and have beaten the D-backs in 20 of their last 21 meetings at home.
Reliever Ryan Pepiot (3-0) pitched three scoreless innings before Chris Martin retired the D-backs in order in the ninth for his second save.
Daulton Varsho and Christian Walker homered for Arizona (68-80), which led 5-1 before Barnes’s two-run blast in the eighth against Caleb Smith.
The Dodgers then loaded the bases against Kevin Ginkel (1-1) before Joe Mantiply entered and allowed an RBI single to pinch-hitter Will Smith.
Trayce Thompson followed with a run-scoring single before Vargas capped the comeback with a two-out infield single that scored Justin Turner from third.
The Dodgers took an early lead in the first after loading the bases with one out. Freddie Freeman scored on Thompson’s sacrifice fly before Chris Taylor grounded out to end the inning.
Arizona answered in the second when Ketel Marte hit a leadoff double and scored on Cooper Hummel’s two-out ground-rule double.
Varsho homered to begin the third inning against Michael Grove, who was making his second consecutive start versus Arizona.
The D-backs tacked on a run in the fourth when Alek Thomas reached base on Freeman’s fielding error and scored on Varsho’s two-out single.
Arizona stretched its lead to 5-1 with a pair of runs in the fifth. Walker delivered a one-out solo homer before Josh Rojas singled with two outs. Rojas then came around to score when Thomas singled to left field and Vargas’ throw to third ended up in the Dodgers’ dugout.
Grove allowed five runs (three earned) on nine hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out seven.
Arizona starter Zach Davies departed after giving up one run on five hits over three innings. He walked two and struck out three while throwing 79 pitches.
–Field Level Media
