The Los Angeles Dodgers needed a victory Saturday evening to keep pace with the San Francisco Giants as they defeated the Washington Nationals earlier in the day. A win would also ensure the Dodgers go without a series loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium since June 2013.
Scott Kazmir was again plagued by the all-too-familiar first-inning troubles as his 0-2 pitch to Jean Segura was deposited into the left field pavilion for a leadoff home run. Kazmir retired the next three batters faced but was immediately staring at a 1-0 deficit.
Braden Shipley, making just his second start in the Majors, gave up a two-out double to Justin Turner in the bottom of the first and walked Adrian Gonzalez. Shipley escaped the small jam by getting Howie Kendrick to ground out.
Yasmany Tomas led off the second inning with a double, later scored on Chris Owings’ double, who in turn scored on Segura’s double. The trio of extra-base hits extended the Diamondbacks’ lead to 3-0 before Kazmir could get out of the inning.
Corey Seager doubled with two outs in the bottom of the third. The double was Seager’s 30th of the season, which tied the Dodgers rookie record, set by Eric Karros in 1992. Seager’s extra-base hit didn’t amount to anything as Turner flied out to end the inning.
Tomas and Jake Lamb connected on back-to-back singles with no outs in the fourth. However, Tomas was then thrown out at third base as part of a double steal attempt. Chris Owings and Shipley both struck out swinging to strand Lamb at second base.
After Gonzalez led off the bottom of the fourth with a single, he was quickly erased on a Kendrick double play ball. Yasmani Grandal reached on a swinging bunt but Andrew Toles then grounded out on the first pitch he saw to end the inning with the Dodgers still trailing 3-0.
Chase Utley doubled with two outs in the bottom of the fifth only to be stranded by Seager. Kazmir struck out the side in the sixth to give him eight consecutive batters retired to that point.
That came to an end on Phil Gosselin’s two-out, pinch-hit double in the top of the seventh. It was initially ruled that Gosselin was thrown out at second base by Toles, but review overturned the call. Pedro Baez and Scott Van Slyke then entered the game, replacing Kazmir and Kendrick, respectively.
Baez’s first pitch drilled Segura on the back of his left arm. Segura remained down for a few moments and was checked on before taking his base. Brandon Drury then hit a chopper that stayed fair down the first base line for an RBI single.
Enrique Burgos issued a leadoff walk to Toles, who with two outs advanced to second base on a passed ball. That cost Burgos and the Diamondbacks as Van Slyke lined an RBI single into center. Van Slyke was then caught stealing to end the inning.
Seager walked in the bottom of the eighth and went first to third base on a Gonzalez single to left-center field. Chris Taylor, representing the tying run, pinch-hit for Baez, and flied out to end the inning.
David Peralta hit a two-out triple in the ninth, which also resulted in a brief scare for the Dodgers. Toles ran face-first into the wire fencing part of the right field wall and needed a quick second to regather himself before going after the ball.
Toles was checked on by Dodgers head athletic trainer Neil Rampe and treated for what appeared to be a busted lip. Louis Coleman replaced Howell and retired Segura to strand Peralta. Pederson crushed a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth but it didn’t lead to a rally and the Dodgers lost the Diamondbacks, 4-2.
