The Los Angeles Dodgers bats have been relatively quiet to start the season, although they broke out in a big way against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night in an 8-2 victory to improve to 6-3 on the season.
It took a little while for them to get going, but they eventually did so with three runs in the fourth inning to erase a 1-0 deficit.
Joc Pederson led off the inning with a walk, and he quickly scored on a towering two-run home run off the bat of Edwin Rios that traveled an estimated 434 feet. Rios has been swinging a hot bat to start the season, already hitting a pair of homers in just a handful of at-bats.
Another left-handed batter, Matt Beaty, then stepped to the plate two batters later and hit a home run of his own, sneaking a solo shot inside the right-field foul pole for his first of the season.
“I was just trying to hit the ball halfway as far as Eddie did a couple at-bats before,” Beaty joked after the win.
The Dodgers’ big inning on the night came in the fifth when they scored five runs, all coming before the Diamondbacks could get an out.
Mookie Betts got it started with a walk and then went first-to-third base on a single by Corey Seager, who had another two hits to continue his hot start to the season.
Justin Turner drove both of them home on a triple off the right-center field wall, and quickly scoring a run of his own on an opposite-field single by Pederson.
AJ Pollock then capped off the rally with a long two-run home run to left field, his second of the series against his former team.
The offensive outburst was capped off in the top of the eighth when Chris Taylor launched a three-run home run to right field for his first of the season.
Urias tosses quality start to earn first victory
Julio Urias got the start on the mound for the Dodgers and got off to a bit of a rough start, allowing a run on 27 pitches in the first inning.
He settled in from there though and got through six innings, giving the Dodgers’ bullpen a much-needed break. He allowed five hits and a run while striking out five and walking one on 90 pitches to earn his first win of the season.
“The first inning was a little tough. Will (Smith) and I eventually got on the same page and started working a little better together,” Urias said. “We started to get through that and it was good to get through six innings.”
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