Fresh off playing 13 innings to complete a sweep of the Houston Astros, the Los Angeles Dodgers moved on to the next stop of their road trip and got the bats going early against Robbie Ray and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Ray historically has given the Dodgers fits, and in particular Corey Seager, but that was not the case in the series opener at Chase Field. Ray’s night began with a leadoff walk of Mookie Betts, which wound up serving as a sign of things to come.
After Max Muncy’s base hit put runners at the corners, Justin Turner’s sacrifice fly gave the Dodgers an early lead. AJ Pollock then added to what’s been a hot start to the season with a two-run home run against his former team.
Pollock said before the game he’s found comfort in not over-preparing but rather putting faith in a normal workload and preparation. He later doubled and finished the night 2-for-5, though that caused his batting average to slip to .471.
Corey Seager led off the second inning with a home run and his RBI groundout in the fifth extended the Dodgers’ lead to 5-1. Max Muncy provided more insurance by going to left-center field in the sixth inning for his second homer of the season.
On top of production at the plate, the Dodgers got stellar play in the field from Mookie Betts. He made multiple highlight-reel catches and was lauded by manager Dave Roberts for making difficult plays look routine.
The L.A. bullpen also answered the bell once more. Ross Stripling exited after allowing an RBI double with one out in the sixth inning. The Diamondbacks scratched another run off Adam Kolarek before he could get through inning, but that was it for the game.
Joe Kelly, Brusdar Graterol and Pedro Baez each tossed a scoreless inning to finish out the game. The lone baserunner during that stretch was a two-out walk Baez issued in the ninth.
Just over 10% through regular season
The Dodgers sputtered to a 2-2 record by splitting their Opening Series with the San Francisco Giants, but they now are tied for the MLB lead with five wins. Having surpassed 10% of the regular season, Roberts lauded the bullpen’s performance and expressed confidence Cody Bellinger and Betts would soon begin to find their footing at the plate.
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