Dodgers put enough hits together in 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks to maintain their edge in NL West
There were no fireworks at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday evening, nothing capable of replicating the previous night’s power display against former teammate Zack Greinke. The Dodgers used a less explosive but just as effective tack in a 5-2 victory, batting aside the Diamondbacks with a combination of timely hits and lively baserunning.
On Monday, the Dodgers overwhelmed Greinke with a five-homer flurry. A day later, the lineup picked apart Shelby Miller, booting him from the game midway through the fifth inning. The Dodgers (78-60) peppered Miller with 11 hits as the team collected its fourth victory in a row and maintained a four-game lead in the National League West.
“This is a fun lineup to be a part of,†said outfielder Josh Reddick, who recorded two hits as he continues to emerge from an August funk.
The team received a five-inning outing from Ross Stripling (4-6). He gave up two runs on three hits, struck out five and drove in the go-ahead run in the second inning with just the second hit of his career.
The Dodgers can complete a sweep of Arizona, their purported rivals for the division crown when the season began, on Wednesday evening. After a day off Thursday, the team will embark on a 10-game trip and a stretch of 17 games without a day off.
Neither pitcher breezed through the first inning. Stripling needed 23 pitches to collect three outs. His 16th pitch was a full-count slider that hovered around the waist of Arizona outfielder A.J. Pollock, and the ball landed halfway up the bleachers in left field.
“Basically laid a cookie in there, 3-2, and he was all over it,†Stripling said. “After that, you just naturally focus in because you’re mad.â€
The offense picked Stripling up in the bottom of the inning. Corey Seager hit a one-out single and took second on a wild pitch by Miller. Justin Turner tied the score with an RBI single.
The Dodgers continue to poke at Miller in the second. In the winter, Arizona submitted a sizable ransom to Atlanta in order to acquire Miller. The Diamondbacks built a package around Dansby Swanson, the former No. 1 overall pick, in order to pair Miller with Greinke.
Greinke has disappointed in his first season in Arizona. Miller has been worse. The team demoted him to the minor leagues in July. Miller entered Tuesday’s game with a 2-10 record and a 6.81 earned-run average.
Reddick opened the second inning with a single. Two batters later, rookie Andrew Toles doubled into the gap in left-center field. As Reddick passed second base, third-base coach Chris Woodward wheeled him toward home. With one out and Stripling coming up, Woodward decided to gamble.
Arizona answered the challenge. Pollock relayed to second baseman Jean Segura. Segura hit catcher Welington Castillo, who dropped a tag on Reddick as he slid toward the outer edge of the plate.
Behind the play, Miller pumped his fist. He appeared on the verge of escaping the inning. Stripling entered the night with one hit in 21 at-bats in the majors. His experience as a hitter was quite limited, even for a pitcher. Stripling did not even bat at his high school in the suburbs of Dallas.
Miller did not give Stripling a chance to speed up his bat. He only threw fastballs. But the fourth gave Stripling a chance to slap a grounder toward first base. The ball hugged the inside of the first base line as Toles came home, giving Stripling his first pro RBI.
“Really just trying to put a ball in play,†Stripling said. “I’m certainly not an expert with the bat.â€
The third inning was even less forgiving for Miller. Seager led off with a single. Turner bounced a ground-rule double over the left-field wall. Yasmani Grandal chopped an RBI groundout. Reddick stroked an RBI single.
The rally appeared over when Joc Pederson hit a grounder to the right side of the infield. Segura lunged for the ball but could not make a throw. Pederson received credit for a hit. The play allowed Toles to bat with Reddick in scoring position, and he shot a run-scoring single up the middle.
“We put some at-bats together and got a lot of hits, got a lot of baserunners,†Manager Dave Roberts said. “I thought it was really good. Jumped on Miller early.â€
In the fourth, Stripling handed a run back after a double by shortstop Chris Owings, a single by first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and a sacrifice fly by third baseman Jake Lamb. Roberts removed Stripling after five innings.
On the surface, the maneuver looked curious. Stripling had thrown only 66 pitches, and the team drained its bullpen throughout the summer. But Roberts noticed his velocity dropping and decided to take him out.
Roberts operates a 14-man bullpen. He opted to open it up for the final four innings, which passed without incident. Joe Blanton handled the eighth. Kenley Jansen recorded his 42nd save.
“It was just a well-played baseball game,†Roberts said. “It really was. The guys in the back end did their jobs. Clean baseball.â€
Twitter: McCulloughTimes
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