Dose of Venom: Poor start again plagues D-backs in loss to Dodgers

At least there were fireworks after the game, because there certainly weren’t any during the game — at least none by the home team.

The Arizona Diamondbacks managed just two hits — two singles by Miguel Montero — and were shut out for the second time this season, losing to the Dodgers 6-0 in front of 33,349 at Chase Field.

“We had no answers for him tonight,” manager Kirk Gibson said of Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu, who struck out eight over seven innings and extended his streak of consecutive scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks to 19.

The Diamondbacks also had no answers for Adrian Gonzalez, who extended his hitting streak to seven games with a two-out, two-run home run in the first inning, all part of a three-hit, five-RBI performance.

“He’s not an easy out,” Brandon McCarthy said.

With his pitch count low, McCarthy made it all the way into the eighth inning, but was touched up for six runs on 10 hits. He has allowed five runs or more in three straight starts for the first time in his career.

“I don’t know what the hell is going on,” McCarthy said. “I really feel like I haven’t thrown terribly this season. It’s just been a few pitches here and there that have gone wrong. Whether it’s a combination of bad luck, just too many bad pitches, whatever it is it’s getting old.”

The Diamondbacks dropped their third straight to the Dodgers and are now 4-9 on the season.

THE GOOD

Maybe not painless, but it was quick. The game was played in 2:26.

After issuing a two-out walk to Andre Ethier in the third inning, McCarthy retired the next 11 batters.

Montero snapped out of a 3-for-27 stretch over his past eight games with two hits, both singles, in his first two plate appearances.

Will Harris recorded his first scoreless outing in four games with a scoreless eighth. He had allowed eight runs in his last three appearances.

THE BAD

McCarthy retired the first two batters of the game and then the next two scored. Hanley Ramirez singled to center on a 3-2 pitch and crossed home plate moments later after Gonzalez deposited the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for a two-run home run.

With runners on second and third and one out in the third inning, McCarthy tried to throw a 94 mph sinker past Gonzalez, who promptly singled up the middle to score both Yasiel Puig and Ramirez to make it 4-0 Dodgers.

The Dodgers opened the eighth inning with three straight hits — back-to-back doubles by Puig and Ramirez followed by a Gonzalez single — to extend their lead to 6-0, ending McCarthy’s evening on the mound.

Paul Goldschmidt’s streak of 31 straight games reaching base came to an end. It had been the longest active streak in the Majors and tied for fourth-longest in club history.

Martin Prado went 0-for-3, snapping a six-game hitting streak.

Chris Owings is hitless in his last 13 at-bats.

STAT OF THE GAME

5: The number of home runs allowed by McCarthy this season. He surrendered 13 last season.

HE SAID IT

“It’s been going ‘swimmingly’ against the Diamondbacks — Yes, I meant that,” Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully on the air with the Dodgers leading 2-0 early in the game.

NOTED

Gonzalez leads all active players with 25 home runs and 82 RBIs against the Diamondbacks in his career. He raised his batting average 55 points (.189 to .244) with his 3-for-4 performance.

The Diamondbacks were shut out by the Dodgers for the first time since June 2, 2010 at Dodger Stadium (1-0) and the first time at Chase Field since July 27, 2003 (1-0).

The Diamondbacks canceled batting practice after touching down at Sky Harbor Airport at 2:52 a.m. following their 10-inning, 4-hour, 10-minute game at San Francisco.

UP NEXT

Game 2 against NL West rival Los Angeles pits left-hander Wade Miley against right-hander Zach Greinke on Saturday, April 12. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning 30 minutes earlier on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

Miley (2-1, 4.05) is coming off a career high-tying eight inning performance in which he allowed two runs in a 5-3 victory at the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. He also swung the bat well with his first career three-hit game. Greinke (2-0, 3.27), meanwhile, has gone 9-1 with a 1.72 ERA (16 ER in 83.2 IP) in his past 13 starts since August 5. He went 2-0 in three starts against the Diamondbacks last season.

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