In what seemed like a must-win game, the Los Angeles Dodgers put up a gutsy performance on Friday night, coming from behind to earn a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.
The Diamondbacks got on the board in the top of the first inning when Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run home run off Hyun-Jin Ryu. It was by not fault of Ryu, who made a quality pitch that Goldschmidt sliced down the line.
Ryu settled in from there though, retiring 19 of the final 21 hitters he faced to get through seven innings and keep the Dodgers in the game. That was much-needed considering how well Zack Greinke was throwing the ball.
The Dodgers trailed 2-1 with two outs in the seventh inning when they sent Kiké Hernandez to the plate to pinch-hit against Greinke, who had retired 10 of the last 11 hitters faced.
Hernandez sparked some life into the team and stadium by hitting a solo home run to right-center field to tie the game. The long ball was Hernandez’s 19th of the season.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo then had a critical decision to make in the top of the eighth. With a runner at first and one out, he sent Greinke up to the plate to hit for himself and bunt the runner over.
Arizona didn’t end up scoring, so the score remained tied when Greinke took the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Justin Turner made Lovullo pay for his decision when he launched a towering home run to left field on the first pitch he saw from Greinke.
That wound up being a game-winner as Kenley Jansen got back on track with a scoreless ninth to earn his 33rd save of the season.
