Sedona Red Recap: D-backs offense explodes for 12-4 win over Dodgers
Sep 11, 2015, 11:09 PM
Arizona Diamondbacks' Welington Castillo, right, celebrates with Paul Goldschmidt after hitting a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks’ win over the Los Angeles Dodgers was in a word, fast.
Robbie Ray got through his first three batters in roughly four minutes and then the D-backs scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning.
D-backs hitters clearly saw the ball well against Dodgers starter Alex Wood. A.J. Pollock led off with a single and Ender Inciarte hit a missile right at the shortstop. Paul Goldschmidt’s walk was followed by a moonshot home run to left-center field from Welington Castillo. The home run was an estimated 448 feet.
Goldschmidt would get another chance against Wood and the MVP candidate hit a two-run home run the next inning to make it 6-0. After two more hits for the D-backs made it eight total, Wood was pulled from the game.
Ray kept rolling, giving up two hits, three walks, and zero runs in five innings of work. Friday was Ray’s first win at Chase Field.
THE GOOD
– That great eye for Wood continued after Castillo’s home run. Phil Gosselin hit a single and Chris Owings followed it with an RBI triple.
– Castillo and David Peralta’s success hitting after the All-Star break has provided the D-backs with great protection in the lineup for their star Goldschmidt. Peralta is hitting .363 since the All-Star break and Castillo has 17 home runs in 14 weeks.
– Yasmany Tomas caught a break that could get him going. The D-backs outfielder was really struggling, entering Friday’s game hitting 3-for-29 in his last 12 games. However, in the second inning he had a two-RBI bloop double that just snuck into right field between the fielder and the foul line.
– Outfielder Peter O’Brien made his Major League debut pinch-hitting in the sixth inning and hit an RBI single. O’Brien was acquired in the Martin Prado deal with the New York Yankees. He was a Pacific Coast League All-Star for the Reno Aces.
– Nick Ahmed had a four-hit night and was a triple shy of the cycle in his fourth at-bat. In that at-bat, Ahmed hit a liner down the left field line and everyone was eager to see how the ball would bounce and if Ahmed would round second base. Unfortunately, the ball took a routine bounce off the wall and Ahmed stayed at second.
THE BAD
– Despite all the positives in the game, there was still a mistake by the D-backs that possibly cost them a run. Owings was on third after a triple and on the next at-bat ran home after a short and slow groundball was hit to the shortstop. Owings was out at home easily.
– The D-backs could not lock up a shutout. Allen Webster gave up a grand slam to Justin Ruggiano in the ninth inning to bring the score to 12-4.
STAT OF THE GAME
18 – Friday’s home run was Goldschmidt’s 18th of his career against the Dodgers. Since his Major League debut on Aug. 1, 2011, no one has more and the closest is Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez with 11.
HE SAID IT
“It’s a great night. He’s been working so hard in certain fundamentals.” – Chip Hale on Nick Ahmed’s four-hit night
NOTED
– For Marine Week, the D-backs hosted 300-plus uniformed, active duty Marines.
– The bottom of the second inning had a scary moment when home plate umpire Jim Wolf took a foul ball from Ahmed right on his mask. Wolf went to a knee but was up quickly to his feet as a D-backs trainer looked at him. After a few minutes of evaluation, Wolf umped the rest of the inning but was replaced to start the third inning.
– Another injury replacement occurred in the third inning when Dodgers pinch-hitter Alex Guerrero left with a left calf strain after reaching first base on an infield single.
UP NEXT
– Saturday night, it’s game two of a three-game series against the Dodgers. Arizona will send out pitcher Rubby De La Rosa while the Dodgers starting pitcher will be Mike Bolsinger. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 p.m.
– De La Rosa (12-7), the former Dodger, has allowed more than three earned runs only once since the start of August. He’s faced the Dodgers three times this year with a record of 0-2. He gave up at least one home run in all three of those starts. De La Rosa was signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent in 2007.
– Bolsinger (6-3), the former D-back, is enjoying a great debut season for the Dodgers. His 2.96 ERA is 17th in MLB among all pitchers with at least 80 innings pitched. The 27-year-old was drafted in the 15th round by the D-backs in 2010.
