The Arizona Diamondbacks rallied from a three-run deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-4, and extend their winning streak to season-high-tying five games as they fight to remain alive in the National League Wild Card race.
The last time Tony Gonsolin pitched at Chase Field his MLB debut was spoiled in a loss filled with misfortune. That was not the case Friday night as he pitched into the sixth inning and exited with a lead but ultimately did not factor into the decision.
Gonsonlin issued a leadoff walk in the first inning but worked around it and did not allow a hit until Eduardo Escobar’s one-out double in the fourth. Gonsolin preserved the Dodgers’ 3-0 lead by retiring the next two batters faced.
He stranded two more baserunners in the fifth inning after allowing a double and walking pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores. Despite showing some signs of weariness, Gonsolin was sent back out to the mound in the sixth.
He lost a bid for a shutout when a leadoff walk was followed by Escobar’s two-run home run. Gonsolin gave way to Pedro Baez, who gave up a triple before getting through the inning.
The Dodgers stressed Zac Gallen early but he nonetheless managed to get through five innings. Corey Seager’s hustle double in the second inning led to breaking up the scoreless tie when Kiké Hernandez later pulled an extra-base hit of his own into left field.
Gonsolin helped his cause by poking an RBI single into right field. The RBI was the first of his career and came at the same ballpark of his first hit.
Justin Turner’s five-game hitting streak was snapped but his 14-pitch walk in the third inning led to a run when Cody Bellinger followed with a triple down the right-field line. Gallen proceeded to retire the next eight batters to keep the Diamondbacks’ deficit manageable.
Matt Beaty’s two-out RBI single in the seventh inning prevented the Dodgers from squandering runners at the corners on with nobody out. It also loomed large when Casey Sadler surrendered a two-run home run Josh Rojas in the bottom half of the inning that tied the game instead of putting the Diamondbacks ahead.
Arizona’s comeback effort was aided by Russell Martin dropping strike three, which allowed Tim Locastro to reach to start the eighth. Yimi Garcia continued to pound the strike zone but faced runners on first and third base with none out.
He struck out Nick Ahmed and threw each of his 19 pitches for strike, only to balk in the go-ahead run.
Archie Bradley hit Martin with a pitch to lead off the ninth inning and allowed a two-out single to Beaty before converting the five-out save.
