Bradley’s pitch to Hill on the bunt was well inside and at Hill’s hands.
Advertisement
Bradley threw six-plus solid innings, and Mitch Haniger and Kyle Jensen each homered to help the Diamondbacks beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-3 to open a four-game series.
Archie Bradley (7-9) struck out seven in six-plus innings and got plenty of run support as the Diamondbacks won their fourth straight and handed Hill his first loss with the Dodgers.
“Our guys were fired up”, Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said. The Dodgers have scored five runs in their last three games and three or less runs in six of their last eight games. A wild pitch allowed Joc Pederson to race home, and Chase Utley doubled in Andrew Toles. “Nothing more than that”, Bradley said. “Even after giving up the run (in the fifth), I still felt good about how I was throwing the ball”. Then seven flawless innings against the Marlins last time out, before being pulled because of concern over the possible recurrence of a blister issue. After crossing first base, Hill turned immediately and yelled at Bradley, apparently about a pitch on the inside part of the plate.
“Just because you’re a pitcher I’m not going to not throw you inside”, Bradley said.
Left-hander Patrick Corbin, the one-time starter relegated to the bullpen in mid-August, threw a ideal final three innings for his first save of the season. “Those were three strong, strong innings”. The Diamondbacks eventually won that contest 2-1 in 12 innings, on Brandon Drury’s walk-off single. “It’s exciting. It’s good baseball”. The Dodgers lead the National League West by four games over San Francisco and host the Giants for a three-game set early next week. “Whatever it is, whatever it might be, it goes in spurts”. It promises to be a thoroughly interesting contest, considering the Diamondbacks hitters torched the Colorado pitchers and set a new franchise record for runs scored in a three-game series.
Bradley struck out the side in his first two innings and allowed three runs and nine hits. The first, back in June, didn’t go too well – he allowed five runs in 5.2 innings and took the loss.
“I just didn’t execute”, Hill said.
Hill (3-0, 0.00 ERA) threw seven flawless innings against the Miami Marlins in his last start but was pulled by Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts for several reasons, including a familiar issue on Hill’s pitching hand. “That is what it came down to, making better pitches. As frustrating as it is, especially at this point of the season, that is unacceptable”.
Hill struck out three of the first five hitters he faced, but both his scoreless run and his ideal streak came to an abrupt halt.
Hill, 9-3 with Oakland before being dealt to Los Angeles on August 1, allowed a run for the first time as a Dodger when Kyle Jensen homered off the center-field batter’s eye in the second inning.
Arizona added to its lead with Chris Owings’ two-out single in the third to drive in Tuffy Gosewich.
The Dodgers scored soon after the dugouts emptied.
Then the Arizona offense took off against Hill and reliever Louis Coleman. Two singles, with a sacrifice in between, produced a run in the third inning, then a walk, a passed ball and a single scored another in the sixth.
The home runs allowed to Jensen – a 2015 non-roster invitee to Dodgers spring training and last year’s Triple-A Oklahoma City leader in home runs and RBI – and Haniger was the second major league home run for both.
Advertisement
The Arizona Diamondbacks look to build on their impressive four-game winning streak. Arizona entered the game leading the NL in batting average (.279) and slugging percentage (.490) against left-handers.
