Sedona Red Recap: D-backs win streak ends at four after loss to Dodgers
Sep 16, 2016, 11:28 PM
Los Angeles Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez (23) scores on a throwing error by Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Jean Segura during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The past few days have been some of the best that the Arizona Diamondbacks have experienced in this difficult 2016 campaign.
They rattled off four straight home wins for the first time all year, and they erupted for 41 runs in the process. For the first time in awhile, they had to be feeling pretty good about themselves heading into Friday night’s contest with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Then they ran into Kenta Maeda. Again.
Justin Turner drove in LA’s lone earned run and Maeda struck out six while allowing just one run over five innings as the Dodgers edged the D-backs by a final of 3-2 in front of 28,211 fans at Chase Field.
The 28-year old righty has been a difficult pitcher for any team to solve during his first Major League season, but he’s been especially tough on Arizona. Friday marked his sixth start against Chip Hale’s squad — the most against any club — and he improved his record to 3-1 in those games.
Meanwhile, Zack Greinke rebounded from a disastrous outing two starts ago against Los Angeles, in which he was touched up for eight runs and five home runs back on Sept. 5. Tonight, he allowed just the one earned run but he was on the mound for the other two unearned runs. That was enough to land him his seventh loss of the season, dropping Arizona to 62-85 overall in the process.
THE GOOD
-Jake Lamb made a diving catch on a throw down the third base line by Welington Castillo that was wide and headed for left field in the first inning. A wild pitch by Greinke had allowed Chase Utley to take third, but the play by Lamb prevented him from scoring. Temporarily, at least.
-Jean Segura saved a potential run in the fourth, by snagging a sharply hit ball up the middle and firing to first in time to end the inning.
-Yasmany Tomas made a sliding catch in foul territory to retire Howie Kendrick and end the Dodgers’ half of the sixth inning.
-Segura is now hitting .626 (10-for-19) over the last four games.
-Brandon Drury now has an eight-game hitting streak. His seven-game RBI streak came to an end, though.
THE BAD
-Turner scored the Dodgers’ second run courtesy of a passed ball. And then Adrian Gonzalez scored their third via a Segura throwing error, as he was trying to turn a double play to close out the fourth inning. Unfortunately for the D-backs, that proved to be the winning run.
-Arizona missed a golden opportunity to tie it up when Paul Goldschmidt struck out to strand Segura at third in the seventh.
-The D-backs loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth but failed to get anyone across the plate. In all, they left 11 guys on base.
-Goldschmidt struck out three times, and Arizona fanned 12 times collectively.
STAT OF THE GAME
184: That’s the number of hits Segura has in 2016 after picking up another pair of tonight. If he can collect 16 more by the end of the year, he’ll become just the second player in franchise history to hit the 200 mark in a single season. Naturally, Luis Gonzalez (206 in 1999) is the other.
HE SAID IT
“It was a good battle. Unfortunately, the run that cost us was the throw away on the double play ball. Can’t make those plays in games like this.” – D-backs manager Chip Hale.
NOTED
-Tonight was just the seventh time Greinke had ever pitched against the Dodgers.
-Arizona only has five home games left this season.
UP NEXT
The D-backs and Dodgers will meet again for the third installment of this four-game series on Saturday. Shelby Miller will get the start for Arizona, while LA counters with Brock Stewart. First pitch is set for 5:10 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 4:30 on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
Miller (2-11) is having a memorably forgettable season. Not much can be said about his 2016 campaign that hasn’t already been said, but the Diamondbacks would obviously like him to at least finish the year on a high note so he can put it behind him more quickly.
Overall, Miller’s ERA is 7.12 this season. He allowed six runs (four earned) over five innings while picking up a no-decision against the Rockies on Monday, and was knocked around by this Dodgers lineup for five runs (four earned) over 4.1 frames in his previous start on September 6.
Bud Norris was originally supposed to take the mound for Los Angeles, but will remain in the bullpen as Stewart (1-2) gets the nod instead. The young righty has made five career appearances at the MLB level, notching a 6.55 ERA in 22 innings. His one win did come against the D-backs, though, when he scattered one run over five innings on Sept. 7 in Arizona.
