The Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers met for the fourth time since the All-Star break on Friday night. The recent matchups went in the Diamondbacks’ favor as they took two of three games at Chase Field from July 15-17.
Kenta Maeda started a game during that series, allowing five runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings. He was much improved in Friday’s series opener, breezing through the first six innings. Maeda gave up a leadoff single in the seventh and soon after an RBI double, and was removed after throwing 93 pitches over 6.1 innings.
The pitching change was the start of a parade out of the Dodgers’ bullpen. Manager Dave Roberts called on four different relievers as he searched for a combination that would bring an end to the Diamondbacks’ rally.
Arizona benefitted from well-placed bloop hits, a walk with the bases loaded, and infield single to score seven runs and storm out to a 7-3 lead. Any positivity from their big inning was short-lived, however.
Andrew Toles led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and Joc Pederson followed with a two-run homer. Scott Van Slyke walked and the Diamondbacks went to a pitching change but it was to no avail.
Chase Utley clubbed the first pitch he saw for a game-tying, two-run home run, and Yasmani Grandal later pushed the Dodgers ahead with an RBI single. Video of their five-run rally is courtesy the Dodgers’ Twitter account:
4 to tie.
5 to lead.Mission i̶m̶p̶o̶s̶s̶i̶b̶l̶e̶ POSSIBLE. ?https://t.co/ZOHI2PLfWG
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 30, 2016
Peterson tied a career high with four RBIs, first set May 1, 2015, against the same Diamondbacks. Pederson, Roberts and Utley were in agreement the comeback victory likely isn’t one the Dodgers would have come up with earlier this season.
The seventh inning took over one hour to play out, with the clubs combining for seven pitching changes, 12 runs and four walks.
