His first major league homer was the real deal – a grand slam Friday that was a part of a big day in one of the Dodgers’ biggest offensive games of the season as they opened the post-break schedule with a 13-7 victory over Arizona at Chase Field.
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Taylor, making his fourth start since joining the Dodgers in June and his first at second base, hit a two-run triple to drive a five-run fourth inning that gave the Dodgers the lead for good.
Chris Taylor, acquired by Los Angeles in a trade with Seattle a month ago, fell a single shy of the cycle, and Bud Norris finally beat Arizona.
Taylor tripled in two runs in the fourth inning, doubled and scored in the fifth and had his slam in the sixth for a 12-4 lead as the Dodgers had a season-high 18 hits.
“I think it’s awesome to see the offense come out [like this], and I think everybody had a hit”, said Justin Turner, who had a first-inning home run among his two hits.
Norris gave up four runs and eight hits in four innings. The top of the sixth was explosive, to say the least, started with Justin Turner being hit by a pitch that resulted in a warning to both benches. “I personally have struggled here a few times, so I just wanted to go as deep as I could, kind of just leave all my pitches out there”. “It is leading to walks and hitter’s counts”.
“I knew he (Diamondbacks reliever Silvino Bracho) had a good fastball so I was trying to be on time”, Taylor said.
The Diamondbacks took a 3-2 lead with three runs in the third, two on Michael Bourn’s triple, but as has been the case so often this season, gave it up in the very next inning. Singles later in the inning by Yasiel Puig and Norris would open up the lead even further for the Dodgers, who now would lead 7-3.
Four days away from the action and it was as if the All-Star break never happened for the red-hot Los Angeles Dodgers.
In the eighth, needing only a single, Taylor chose to lay down a bunt and was thrown out by the pitcher. Arizona is without AJ Pollock who may end up back in the lineup sooner rather than later but with Arizona’s position in the standings I don’t see them rushing him back as they won’t want to wager any potential risk of re-injuring if he is rushed back but they could certainly use his pop at the plate as they have been very light hitting this season. I think you put me in that situation again I’m still going to try it. That’s always something I take pride in. “He labored throughout the game”, Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts told reporters.
The D-Backs would try to make things interesting in the seventh with a pair of home runs from Jean Segura and Goldschmidt to make the game 12-7, but that would be about as close as they would get. “It’s nearly like you can’t score enough. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a good angle on it, and the pitcher made a nice play”. “If it was executed a little bit better he would have hit for the cycle”.
Taylor was attempting to join Orlando Hudson as Wes Parker as the only Dodgers to hit for the cycle since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1958.
The Diamondbacks fell to 15-33 at home.
Kershaw, sidelined since June 27 with a mild disk herniation, will throw a simulated game in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Before he was hurt, Kershaw, as usual, was one of the game’s best pitchers, going 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA.
The Dodgers’ 49th-round draft pick in 2006 continues to be worth whatever the Dodgers could take back in a time machine and offer him to sign (he went to college instead and was drafted by the Diamondbacks three years later). Arizona RHP Zack Greinke (oblique) played catch at 60 feet Thursday, the first time he has thrown since sustaining his injury June 28.
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Dodgers (52-40): Brandon McCarthy makes his third start since coming off the disabled list after Tommy John Surgery on Saturday. Since being recalled from Triple-A Reno on May 29, Bradley ranks fourth in the NL in strikeouts.
