D-backs use long ball to beat Dodgers in 12 innings

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A belief they’re going to win, even when they blow the lead or trail in a game. That confidence used to belong to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, it’s owned by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Daniel Descalso hit a tiebreaking, pinch-hit three-run homer in the 12th inning, and Arizona won 8-5 on Tuesday night.

Yimi Garcia (0-1) served up the shot to right field with two outs after pinch-hitter Alex Avila singled and Paul Goldschmidt walked.

“I was just trying to drive that run in from second,” Descalso said. “I wanted to get a good pitch to hit and hit a line drive. I elevated it a little bit and got it over the wall.”

The NL West leaders won their third in a row after blowing two- and three-run leads earlier in the game.

A.J. Pollock and John Ryan Murphy hit two-run homers and Chris Owings added a solo shot for Arizona.

“We all believe we’re going to win,” Pollock said. “We all thought that as long as our pitchers could keep getting us opportunities we were going to catch them eventually.”

Pinch-hitter Kike Hernandez homered on his first pitch from Brad Boxberger to tie it 5-all in the ninth.

The Dodgers stranded three runners in the 10th and two more in the 11th to lose their third in a row.

Yasmani Grandal walked leading off the 10th and Cody Bellinger reached on an infield single to shortstop that narrowly eluded the outstretched glove of pitcher Andrew Chafin. Matt Kemp flied out to the warning track in center with the potential go-ahead runs on. Joc Pederson was intentionally walked to the load the bases, but Arizona reliever Yoshihisa Hirano struck out pinch-hitter Kyle Farmer and Chase Utley to end the inning.

“We really battled back,” shortstop Chris Taylor said. “We just couldn’t capitalize late.”

T.J. McFarland (2-1) got the win with 1 1/3 innings of relief.

The D-backs jumped on starting pitcher Rich Hill in the first inning. Pollock hit a two-run homer with two outs that scored Paul Goldschmidt, who trailed 0-2 in the count before Hill threw four straight balls to walk him.

Owings’ homer leading off the third kept Arizona ahead 3-1.

Murphy added two more runs on his first-pitch homer in the fourth that made it 5-2.

Hill came off the disabled list earlier Tuesday to start for the Dodgers after not having pitched since April 14 because of an inflamed middle finger on his left hand.

“The finger was fine,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It was just more the execution.”

Hill gave up five runs and seven hits in four innings, struck out five and walked two. His balk in the third allowed a runner to take second.

“I didn’t perform well at all,” Hill said. “I feel like the ball came out of my hand well. Unfortunately, the results weren’t there.”

The Dodgers scored four of their five runs with two outs.

Kemp had an RBI single in the first, Grandal added a homer in the third, and they closed to 5-4 in the fifth on Grandal’s RBI single and Bellinger’s RBI double.

Kemp, who went 3 for 5, doubled into the right field corner in the eighth to put the tying run on. But Pederson grounded out and Max Muncy flied out to center to end the inning.

Arizona starter Zack Godley allowed four runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out four and walked four in his fourth start against the Dodgers this season.

The D-backs improved to 18-1 when scoring four or more runs, which leads the majors in that category. They’ve won 13 in a row when scoring that many runs or more.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: RHP Braden Shipley (right elbow inflammation) went on the 10-day DL Monday. He experienced a problem on Sunday and an MRI confirmed the diagnosis. He received an injection on Monday and won’t throw for a couple days. … RHP Randall Delgado (left oblique strain) felt good after throwing to 60 feet. … INF Jake Lamb (left AC joint sprain) hit and threw and will incorporate more activity on Wednesday. … RHP Shelby Miller (Tommy John surgery) tossed a 33-pitch bullpen session and is set an extended spring training game Friday.

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (left biceps tendinitis) underwent a scan that was “pretty clear,” manager Dave Roberts said. Kershaw could play catch this week. “He’s in a really good state and feeling optimistic,” Roberts said. … 3B Justin Turner (left wrist fracture) took balls off a machine on the field and participated in batting practice. He’ll take part in a simulated game facing live pitching on Wednesday. … RF Yasiel Puig (left hip contusion) is expected to return Wednesday. … 2B Logan Forsythe (right shoulder inflammation) could rejoin the team next week during its six-game trip to Miami and Washington.

HARD SLIDE

Arizona’s Steven Souza Jr. was heavily booed in the fifth when he took Muncy’s legs out with a hard slide into third base. Souza was tagged out and he got up and checked on the prone Muncy. Souza started to walk away before pointing and yelling in the direction of the Dodgers’ bench. He had to be restrained by third base coach Tony Perezchica.

“I play with a lot of passion, and sometimes that can come across like it’s dirty. I played with Max Muncy in the Fall League so I would never try to maliciously hurt him by any means,” Souza said. “When I saw Muncy’s reaction I felt terrible automatically, so I felt like it wasn’t necessary to hear anything from the dugout. Alex Wood felt the need to say something from the dugout to protect his teammate.”

DESCALSO’S DINGERS

Three of Descalo’s four homers this season have come against the Dodgers. He is 9 for 28 with five runs, one double, three triples and 10 RBI against LA.

WINNING ON THE ROAD

The D-backs are 11-5 on the road, tops in the National League. They improved to 3-1 in extra innings this season.

UP NEXT

Arizona’s Patrick Corbin (4-0, 2.15 ERA) starts on Wednesday against Alex Wood (0-3, 3.83) in a match-up of lefties. Corbin’s wins are tied for second in the National League behind Washington’s Max Scherzer.