Descalso drives in 4 runs in Arizona’s win over Dodgers
Apr 13, 2018, 11:28 PM | Updated: Apr 14, 2018, 7:47 pm
Arizona Diamondbacks' Daniel Descalso, center, is congratulated in the dugout for his two-run home run during the seventh inning of the team's baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, April 13, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
LOS ANGELES — Daniel Descalso homered and drove in four runs, and the Arizona Diamondbacks held off the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-7 on Friday night for their 10th straight regular-season victory over their NL West rival.
At 10-3, the Diamondbacks are off to the best start in franchise history and own the National League’s second-best record. Their 10-game winning streak against the Dodgers equals their second-longest versus any opponent in team history.
During last year’s playoffs, however, Los Angeles rolled to a three-game sweep of Arizona.
Zack Greinke (1-1) overcame a messy first inning against his former team before settling down and retiring 12 consecutive batters. The right-hander allowed four runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings, struck out seven and walked one.
The Dodgers scored in the sixth, seventh and eighth to close to 8-7.
In the ninth, Cody Bellinger singled with two outs off closer Brad Boxberger. Yasmani Grandal popped out to third base to end it, as Boxberger earned his fifth save.
Greinke served up a leadoff homer to Chris Taylor in the first that tied the game 1-all. After striking out the next two batters, Greinke gave up a single to Bellinger before hitting Grandal with a pitch in his right knee. He struck out Yasiel Puig to end the inning.
Coming off a relief appearance against the Giants, Kenta Maeda (1-1) struggled in his second start of the season. He gave up five runs — two earned — and five hits in 2 2/3 innings. The Japanese right-hander struck out two and walked two.
Descalso’s RBI single in the first gave the D-backs a 1-0 lead.
They tacked on four runs in the third. Greinke scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch by Maeda, and David Peralta followed by scoring on a passed ball. Descalso added a sacrifice fly before Jarrod Dyson’s RBI double chased Maeda and extended Arizona’s lead to 5-1.
Descalso’s two-run homer off Tony Cingrani with two outs in the seventh made it 7-2.
Swept in three games at Arizona last week, the Dodgers scuffled at the plate much of the game. After Bellinger homered with two outs in the sixth, they reverted to small ball.
The Dodgers got three runs in the seventh on RBI singles by Taylor, Corey Seager and Matt Kemp — all with two outs — to close to 7-5.
Nick Ahmed homered in the eighth for Arizona to make it 8-5.
The Dodgers weren’t done yet.
They trailed 8-7 in the eighth after pinch-hitter Chase Utley’s single off Archie Bradley caromed off second base and into left-center, scoring Grandal, who singled, and Puig, who walked. The D-backs turned an inning-ending double play to limit the damage.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: 3B Jake Lamb (sprained left shoulder) worked in the batting cage and will take BP on the field Saturday. He could end up at Triple-A Reno for a rehab assignment. … OF Steven Souza Jr. (right pectoral strain) is due to rejoin the team on Monday.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Taijuan Walker (0-0, 3.27 ERA) starts Saturday. He is 2-1 with a 4.91 ERA in five career starts against Los Angeles.
Dodgers: LHP Rich Hill (1-0, 2.70) is 1-5 with a 4.78 ERA in nine career starts against the D-backs. He’s limited batters to a .238 average.
