Late thunder from Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-3 win and helped them avoid their first four-game series sweep by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Each of the Dodgers’ four runs came via a solo homer.
The script remained familiar for the Dodgers, as they again were first to score. After squandering a 3-0 lead in each of the first three games, they were ahead 2-0 through three innings on Sunday.
That was provided by David Freese clubbing a home run in his first at-bat since returning from the 10-day injured list, and Russell Martin later going to the opposite field for a longball of his own.
Freese and Martin combined to propel the Dodgers to a new franchise record with 236 home runs hit this season. For Freese it was his 10th of the year, which gave the Dodgers a franchise-tying 10 different players to reach double-digits.
The lead was initially upheld by Ross Stripling as he benefitted from two double plays to face the minimum through three scoreless innings. All was going according to plan and Dustin May then entered for his second career relief appearance.
Arizona pulled ahead in the fourth but of more concern to the Dodgers was May being hit in the head by a line drive. The 92 mph screamer off the bat of Jake Lamb went into left field for a game-tying, two-run single.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and a trainer rushed out to check on May as he remained down and grabbed at his head. May was eventually helped to his feet and walked off the field under his own power after a failed attempt to lobby his way into remaining in the game.
Adam Kolarek unexpectedly was thrown into the game and he allowed a go-ahead base hit before getting the Dodgers through the fourth. Caleb Ferguson provided two scoreless innings, Dylan Floro followed suit in the seventh and Kenley Jansen worked a perfect eighth.
The Dodgers struggled to generate any offense as their bullpen kept them in the game. After Chris Taylor’s two-out hustle double in the fourth inning, they had 12 batters retired in a row. The string was snapped on A.J. Pollock’s single with two outs in the eighth inning.
Cody Bellinger then broke through in the ninth for a game-tying home run off Andrew Chafin. Bellinger’s 43rd of the season tied him for the MLB lead with Mike Trout and Pete Alonso.
Pederson’s pinch-hit, 454-foot blast that broke the tie in the 11th inning extended his career high to 28 home runs and marked his longest of the season.
With Joe Kelly and Casey Sadler having pitched in the ninth and 10th inning, respectively, Pedro Baez converted his first career save.
