The Los Angeles Dodgers came into play Saturday in a bit of a funk, particularly against the Arizona Diamondbacks as they had lost ten straight regular-season games against their division foes.
That streak was extended to 11 games Saturday night at Dodger Stadium, as Dodgers starter Rich Hill struggled, resulting in a 9-1 loss.
The Dodgers got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI-single by Joc Pederson, scoring Yasiel Puig who reached on a double.
Hill struggled to keep the ball in the park after that though, as he gave up a home run to Paul Goldschmidt to give Arizona a 3-1 lead in the third.
He then gave up a three-run shot to Deven Marrero in the fourth, although after a lengthy review the umpires ruled that Marrero passed Alex Avila on the base paths, so he was ruled out. Arizona still got two runs on the play, although Marrero was not credited with a home run in one of the weirder plays you’ll ever see on a baseball field.
Hill gave up a home run for the third straight inning in the fifth, this time a two-run shot to A.J. Pollock to extend the lead to 7-1. Hill gave up seven hits and seven runs in five innings of work, striking out five and walking two.
The Dodgers bats could not put any rallies together against Diamondbacks reliever T.J. McFarland, who came in for starter Taijuan Walker who left with a forearm injury after just two innings. McFarland tossed four shutout innings of relief, allowing just two runners to reach base.
For good measure, Pollock and catcher Alex Avila both took Dodgers reliever Wilmer Font deep in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to cap off the 9-1 victory. Pollock’s home run was his second of the night.
