The Los Angeles Dodgers have seen plenty of the Arizona Diamondbacks to start the 2023 season, with eight of 10 games coming against their National League West counterpart.
After splitting four games during the Opening Series at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers lost three of four to the Diamondbacks at Chase Field over the weekend. It culminated with Michael Grove becoming the latest Dodgers starter who struggled to contain a dynamic Diamondbacks lineup.
Grove was chased in the fourth inning and after a baserunner he was responsible for came around to score, was charged for nine runs on 12 hits. Both represented the highest totals of his young career thus far.
Following the loss, Grove pointed to his own trouble with not consistently locating pitches but also gave Diamondbacks hitters credit, via SportsNet LA:
“I got hit. Credit to them. They barreled up the ball a lot and it didn’t go at anybody. Just one of those days. Not a ton to take away from it right now, but watch some film and just get back after it. … I didn’t feel like I threw the ball terribly. Missed some spots and wasn’t landing the curveball, so some things to work on. But all in all, I give credit to them. They hit the ball.”
Sunday’s start was Grove’s second of the season. But unlike Dustin May, Clayton Kershaw and Noah Syndergaard in the days before him, that was Grove’s first time facing the Diamondbacks in 2023.
The right-hander was under the weather for his first outing of the season, which was four-plus innings against the Colorado Rockies.
Having already lost five of eight head-to-head meetings, the Dodgers won’t face the Diamondbacks again until August 8-9, in a return to Chase Field.
Josh Rojas: Dodgers felt pressure
Following a series win in which the Diamondbacks scored a combined 29 runs over the final three games, Josh Rojas opined it was the first time they applied any semblance of pressure on the Dodgers.
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