Tony Gonsolin took an encouraging step forward as he continues to stretch out and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-4, to extend their winning streak to five games.
Heading into the matchup Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the target for Gonsolin was four innings or 60 pitches. The right-hander wound up exceeding both of those in one of his best outings of the season.
Gonsolin didn’t allow a baserunner until issuing a leadoff walk in the third inning, and held the Diamondbacks without a hit before Ketel Marte opened the fourth with a grounder that got through for a single.
Only at 54 pitches, Gonsolin was sent back out for the fifth inning. He issued a leadoff walk but followed that by inducing a double play and going on to strand a two-out base hit. Gonsolin finished with six strikeouts over five scoreless innings.
He exited with a comfortable lead and earned a win thanks to the Dodgers continuing to show improved signs of life.
Back-to-back doubles by Max Muncy and Trea Turner provided Gonsolin with a 1-0 lead in the first inning and set the tone for a big night from each of them. Muncy, using Albert Pujols’ bat, slugged a two-run homer in the third inning, and Turner hit a solo shot in the fifth.
After the Diamondbacks scratched a run across against David Price in the sixth, Will Smith got it back with a solo homer in the bottom half of the inning.
Marte then hit a three-run homer off Justin Bruihl in the seventh, L.A. responded once again, with Justin Turner and Smith each contributing a sacrifice fly.
Dodgers clinch postseason spot
With their victory and the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres both losing, the Dodgers clinched a postseason berth for a ninth consecutive season. They remain alive to extend their streak of National League West titles, but still trail the San Francisco Giants by 2.5 games.
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