Already linked to several trade rumors involving a starting pitcher, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ need to bolster their rotation took on an added sense of urgency in Sunday’s series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
After walking Jean Segura to start the game, Bud Norris was checked on by Dodgers trainer Nate Lucero and manager Dave Roberts. He threw a couple of warmup tosses and remained in the game. However, Norris was again checked on after a Michael Bourn pop-up, and exited with what the Dodgers later called back muscle tightness.
Ross Stripling took over and promptly walked Paul Goldschmidt. Segura, who stole second base and advanced to third on an errant throw prior to Goldschmidt’s walk, scored on Jake Lamb’s RBI groundout.
Patrick Corbin gave up a one-out single to Corey Seager in the bottom of the first. The southpaw later walked Scott Van Slyke and Yasmani Grandal to load the bases with two outs. Yasiel Puig, who hadn’t started since July 21 and has been the subject of trade rumors, grounded to Lamb on a full count.
Lamb went the short way in what ended up being a tougher play as he just beat Van Slyke to third base. The Dodgers challenged the call, which was upheld after a relatively quick review. Stripling made quick work of the Diamondbacks in the second inning, retiring the side in order.
Kiké Hernandez, who was activated off the disabled list on Sunday, doubled in his first at-bat.
However, the Dodgers couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity and Hernandez was stranded at second base. Los Angeles at that point dropped to 0-for-4 on the day with runners in scoring position.
Stripling continued his strong relief outing by getting through the third without issue. It ran his streak of consecutive batters retired to eight. Corbin set the Dodgers down in order in the bottom of the third to keep the Diamondbacks’ slim 1-0 lead intact.
Lamb singled with one out in the fourth to end any early thoughts of a combined no-hitter. Yasmany Tomas followed with a base hit of his own to put two on with one out. A force out left runners on the corners and led to a confusing sequence.
Stripling bounced a pitch in the dirt, which hit Grandal’s mask and briefly got lodged behind his chest protector. The 5.06(c) rule states when a “pitched ball lodges in the umpire’s or catcher’s mask or paraphernalia, and remains out of play, runners advance one base.
Thus, the Diamondbacks took a 2-0 lead on the wild pitch. Chris Owings tacked on another run with a base hit to left but was thrown out at second on the play to end the inning. After Grandal’s leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth, Lamb’s fielding error allowed Puig to reach.
Corbin walked Hernandez to load the bases with no outs, then gave up an RBI infield single to Chris Taylor. Adrian Gonzalez pinch-hit for Stripling and though he grounded into a double play, it scored Puig from third base. Howie Kendrick followed with an RBI single to tie the game.
Louis Coleman worked around a leadoff walk in the fifth to keep the score knotted at 3-3. Justin Turner doubled off the wall in center field to lead off the bottom half of the inning. It nearly went to waste as Corbin retired the next two batters faced.
Corbin was then hurt by Tomas’ limited range in left field as he took a poor route and was unable to make a diving catch on a ball to the gap in left-center. Puig’s RBI double gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead.
With two on and one out in the bottom of the sixth, the Diamondbacks replaced Corbin with Dominic Leone. Turner lined a pitch toward shortstop, which forced Kendrick to duck in order to avoid being hit. That may have impaired Owings’ vision as the ball skipped off his glove and went into center for an RBI single.
There wasn’t any luck needed two batters later, with Grandal hitting a three-run home run to center field. The homer was Grandal’s 15th of the season and eighth in July. Joe Blanton took over in the seventh and nonchalantly snagged a line drive to end a 1-2-3 inning.
Seager padded the Dodgers’ lead with a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh. Puig hit an RBI double in the eighth, and Joc Pederson connected on a pinch-hit, two-run homer to give the Dodgers a 14-3 lead.
J.P. Howell quickly got through the ninth inning, with the victory helping the Dodgers keep pace with the San Francisco Giants.
