The first two contests of a pivotal four-game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks have been wild and woolly.
But both games have been more fun for the Dodgers, who again will look to extend their lead in the National League West when they battle the Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon at Phoenix.
Los Angeles (82-54) has victories of 10-9 and 8-6 over Arizona and has opened a six-game lead over the Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres.
“A lot of grit, fight, from both teams,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Saturday’s win. “And those guys gave us all we could handle.”
The game started with consecutive homers from Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, marking the first time in Dodgers’ history that their first three batters of a game homered.
But the contest was decided when Tommy Edman delivered the decisive two-run bloop single in the ninth.
“Fortunately, I was able to hit it into the perfect spot,” said Edman, who was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline in July. “First big hit I’ve had with this team. Good to be a big part of that win tonight.”
The Dodgers had a 16-5 edge in hits, and Ohtani and Freeman joined Edman in having two RBIs.
Ohtani’s homer was his 44th of the season. He didn’t steal a base, so his total remains at 43 as he pursues the first 50-50 season in major league history.
Los Angeles went 19-8 in August and has won four straight games and 10 of its past 12.
The Diamondbacks (76-60) were hot in August as well and went 18-9 but ended the month with four losses in five games. Arizona is in a virtual tie with the Padres for the NL’s top wild-card spot.
The Diamondbacks trailed by four games entering the series and were aiming to make up ground on the Dodgers. But now Arizona needs to win both of the final two games just to get back to four behind.
“It was a good game,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We fought as hard as we could. We just came up a little short.”
Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll hit an inside-the-park homer. He has five homers over the past five games.
The Diamondbacks dug out of their quick three-run deficit by scoring four times in the bottom of the first. Arizona battled back to forge a tie on two other occasions.
“That’s one of the great qualities of this team — their intensity, their focus, it never stops,” Lovullo said. “And they were down 3-0 in the top of the first inning. The top of the first inning, with three home runs, it was almost unbelievable the way it happened. But it happened, and we got back in the dugout and took care of our own business.”
Arizona will send right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (8-7, 4.31 ERA) to the mound on Sunday. He will look to bounce back from a tough outing in which he gave up a season-worst eight runs (six earned) and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings while losing 8-3 to the New York Mets on Tuesday.
Pfaadt, 25, had won five straight decisions prior to the setback.
He beat the Dodgers on May 21 when he gave up three runs (two earned) and four hits over six innings in the 7-3 game. He is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three career starts against Los Angeles.
Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (1-1, 4.68 ERA) is expected to be called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to make his sixth start of the season for the Dodgers on Sunday.
He last pitched for Los Angeles on Aug. 16 when he beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 despite serving up three homers. He allowed four runs and four hits over five innings to get his first major-league win.
The 24-year-old has never faced Arizona.
–Field Level Media
