A game the Los Angeles Dodgers figured to need Hyun-Jin Ryu to provide some length in didn’t pan out as such, but they still came away with a 2-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dodgers bullpen combined to limit the Diamondbacks to seven baserunners (four hits; three walks) over 7.2 innings.
The Dodgers snapped a four-game losing streak and earned their first regular-season win at Chase Field since Aug. 20, 2010.
Ryu worked around a leadoff walk and two-out base hit in the first inning, only to have his night come to an end in the second. Ryu was checked on by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and trainer Nate Lucero after delivering a second pitch to Deven Marrero.
He attempted to stretch but was removed from the game, walking off under his own power. It was later announced Ryu came out due to a left groin strain.
Pressed into unfamiliar territory, Pedro Baez responded with his best relief appearance of the season. He threw a career-high 42 pitches and matched a career high with 2.2 scoreless innings. Baez stranded the bases loaded in the fourth inning to preserve the Dodgers’ slim lead.
Baez then handed the baton to Daniel Hudson, who struck out three over two perfect innings. Tony Cingrani extended the stretch of consecutive Diamondbacks batters retired to 10 before allowing a ground-rule double to John Ryan Murphy with two outs in the seventh inning.
Nothing came of it, however, as pinch-hitter Christian Walker struck out. Josh Fields and Kenley Jansen combined for two innings to finish the game out. Jansen allowed the Diamondbacks to score a run with two outs but stranded the tying run in scoring position.
The Dodgers’ only runs came on Cody Bellinger’s RBI single in the first inning and Yasmani Grandal’s sacrifice fly in the eighth. The plate was set for Grandal by Alex Verdugo lining a double into left field and later advancing to third base on a pitch in the dirt.
A.J. Pollock went 2-for-4 but was kept in the yard for the first time in the series, settling for a single and double. Pollock’s most costly at-bat came in the bottom of the eighth against Josh Fields.
With runners at the corners and the Diamondbacks trailing 2-0, Pollock hit into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
