{"id":24583,"date":"2019-08-31T17:06:58","date_gmt":"2019-08-31T21:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonbaseball.com\/?p=24583"},"modified":"2019-08-31T17:06:58","modified_gmt":"2019-08-31T21:06:58","slug":"diamondbacks-dodgers-20190830","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2019\/08\/31\/diamondbacks-dodgers-20190830\/","title":{"rendered":"Arizona Diamondbacks Steal Wild Win from Los Angeles Dodgers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 4<\/strong><\/h2>\n

PHOENIX, Aug. 30 \u2013 Tim Locastro<\/a><\/strong> scored the go-ahead run on a balk by Yimi Garcia<\/a><\/strong>, capping off a comeback as the Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a> defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a>, 5-4, for their fifth straight win.<\/p>\n

The scoring began in the top of the second off Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager<\/a><\/strong> belted a double to left field, ending it with a tremendous slide to avoid the tag.\u00a0 Two batters later, second baseman Kike Hernandez<\/a><\/strong> roped a double down the left field line, scoring Seager for the first run of the game.\u00a0 Catcher Russell Martin<\/a><\/strong> then lined a shot off Gallen\u2019s ankle, putting runners on the corners. \u00a0That brought up pitcher Tony Gonsolin<\/a><\/strong>, whose single to right scored Hernandez.\u00a0 It was his first career RBI and made the score 2-0.<\/p>\n

Another run came across for the visitors in the top of the third.\u00a0 With one out, third baseman Justin Turner<\/a><\/strong> hit nine foul balls en route to a 14-pitch walk.\u00a0 That brought up center fielder Cody Bellinger<\/a><\/strong>, who ripped an RBI triple into the right field corner.\u00a0 With the score now 3-0, Gallen struck out Seager and then retired left fielder Chris Taylor<\/a><\/strong> on an unassisted groundout to first.<\/p>\n

Diamondbacks Chip Away, Dodgers Get a Run Back<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The pitchers traded zeros until the bottom of the sixth.\u00a0 Rookie left fielder Josh Rojas<\/a><\/strong> drew a leadoff walk from Gonsolin, bringing up the red-hot Eduardo Escobar<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 On 1-2, Escobar smoked a no-doubt home run into the right field seats, cutting the score to 3-2.\u00a0 That ended Gonsolin\u2019s night, with Pedro Baez<\/a><\/strong> taking over pitching duties.\u00a0 After a strikeout by Christian Walker<\/a><\/strong>, third baseman Jake Lamb<\/a><\/strong> smashed a towering fly to right center field that no one could reach, giving Lamb his second triple of the season.\u00a0 However, he did not score, as right fielder Adam Jones<\/a><\/strong> whiffed, and shortstop Nick Ahmed<\/a><\/strong> grounded to second.<\/p>\n

The Dodgers got one run back in the top of the seventh off T.J. McFarland<\/a><\/strong>, but they could have had more.\u00a0 Hernandez led off with a line drive at Rojas.\u00a0 The left fielder took two steps in, but the ball \u2013 one with heavy backspin \u2013 carried better than expected.\u00a0 Rojas jumped but could not haul it in, and Hernandez ended up with a double.\u00a0 Martin followed with a single to left, putting runners on the corners with nobody out.\u00a0 Kevin Ginkel<\/a><\/strong> then relieved McFarland and fanned pinch hitter A.J. Pollock<\/a><\/strong> for a huge first out.\u00a0 After Pederson popped to the second baseman, first baseman Matt Beaty<\/a><\/strong> singled to left, scoring Hernandez.\u00a0 Turner then ended the inning with a liner to left.<\/p>\n

Rojas Redeems Himself<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With the score now 4-2, the Diamondbacks seemed to find an even stronger resolve than they already had.\u00a0 Speedy center fielder Jarrod Dyson<\/a><\/strong> came to the plate with two out and the bases empty in the bottom of the seventh.\u00a0 He saw a defensive alignment that he liked, so he dropped a drag bunt between the mound and first.\u00a0 Dyson beat it out, charging up the crowd as Rojas stepped to the plate.<\/p>\n

Rojas is from the Phoenix suburb of Goodyear and was one of the prospects who came over in the Zack Greinke<\/a><\/strong> deal.\u00a0 He had just made a fielding mistake that led to a run and did not want to go down as a goat, especially in his home.\u00a0 On a 2-0 count, he redeemed himself, sending a drive over the fence in right for his first major league home run.\u00a0 The two-run clout tied the game at four and sent the crowd into an even bigger frenzy.<\/p>\n

A Strange Ending<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The score remained tied until the bottom of the eighth.\u00a0 Left fielder Tim Locastro led off with a strikeout; however, a passed ball on the third strike allowed the speed demon to reach first.\u00a0 On the first pitch to the next hitter \u2013 Jones \u2013 Locastro stole second.\u00a0 Jones dumped the next pitch into center for a single, putting runners on the corners with nobody out for Ahmed, who struck out.\u00a0 Now, with one out and catcher Alex Avila<\/a><\/strong> stepping to the plate, an inning-ending double play groundout was a possibility.\u00a0 Before a pitch even came to Avila, however, that scenario became impossible.\u00a0 Pitcher Yimi Garcia had balked, scoring Locastro and sending Jones to second.\u00a0 Avila and Vargas both failed to reach, with Avila striking out and Vargas popping to third.<\/p>\n

Archie Bradley<\/a><\/strong>, who entered the game with one out in the eighth, retook the mound to finish the game.\u00a0 He hit the first batter, Martin, on a 1-2 count.\u00a0 When Martin picked up the ball and flung it back to Bradley, many laughed, but with the tying run now on base in the form of pinch runner Kristopher Negron<\/a><\/strong>, it was no laughing matter.\u00a0 Two strikeouts later, Bradley got to 0-2 on Beaty, bringing the fans to their feet.\u00a0 However, after a ball and two foul balls, Beaty singled to left, keeping the inning alive.\u00a0 That brought up Turner with the tying run in scoring position.\u00a0 He blistered the second pitch right at Escobar, who was now at third.\u00a0 It kicked off the heel of his glove, but he barehanded the bounce and rocketed the ball to first in time to retire Turner by less than a step.<\/p>\n

Moving Ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bradley (4-5) earned the win in relief, while Garcia (1-4) took a tough loss.\u00a0 The win gave the Diamondbacks their fifth in a row and kept the Dodgers\u2019 magic number to clinch the division at nine.\u00a0 Furthermore, the Diamondbacks kept pace with the Chicago Cubs<\/a> to stay four and a half games out of the second wild card spot.\u00a0 The two teams play again Saturday evening and then close out the four-game series Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n

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