The Los Angeles Dodgers committed two errors and trailed most of the afternoon before overcoming a four-run deficit in the eighth inning for a 6-5 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
Michael Grove was facing the Diamondbacks in a second consecutive start and although he again pitched five innings, it came with allowing five runs (four earned). Grove held the Diamondbacks to just two solo home runs in his start at Chase Field last week.
Grove nearly stranded Ketel Marte’s leadoff double in the second inning, but Cooper Hummel tied the game on his two-out drive that went for a ground-rule double. Daulton Varsho led off the third with a home run, and added to the Diamondbacks’ lead in the fourth inning when Miguel Vargas misread a fly ball to shallow left field that dropped for a two-out RBI single.
Christian Walker’s 35th home run of the season put the Diamondbacks up 4-1 in the fifth, and a Vargas throwing error allowed another run to score before Grove could get through the inning.
Prior to the comeback, one positive for the Dodgers was their pitching plan of having Grove and Ryan Pepiot handle the majority of the game did come to fruition. Pepiot, recalled as the 29th player for the first game of the doubleheader, allowed one hit and had four strikeouts over four scoreless innings.
Trayce Thompson’s sacrifice fly provided the Dodgers with a lead in the first inning, but they struggled to take advantage of opportunities from that point on. Despite having at least one baserunner in every inning, the Dodgers didn’t score again until Austin Barnes’ two-run homer in the eighth.
That wound up sparking a rally, aided by walks and the Diamondbacks returning the favor with their own sloppy defense. After Will Smith delivered a pinch-hit RBI single on a blooper into center field, Thompson tied the game with an infield single.
Josh Rojas endured more trouble when he failed to come up with a grounder off Vargas’ bat, allowing the Dodgers to score what held as the game winning-run.
Dodgers within range of most wins at Dodger Stadium
The Dodgers have 12 home games remaining and at 51-18, could potentially break the franchise record for most wins at Dodger Stadium. That mark is held by the 2019 Dodgers, who won 59 home games.
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