Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Braden Shipley pitches to Los Angeles Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez, not pictured, during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 30, 2016.
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For a second straight night, the Dodgers found themselves down four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
After Adam Liberatore walked the only batter he faced, Joe Blanton allowed a pair of bloop singles and then walked in the tying run.
Joc Pederson and Chase Utley each hit two-run home runs in the deciding rally as the Dodgers erased a 7-3 deficit and improved to 17-9 since June 26.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts turned to Kenley Jansen to protect the slim lead in the eighth inning, the sixth time this season Jansen has been asked to get more than three outs for a save.
Chase Utley’s two-run blast, his seventh this season, tied the score at 7. With LA trailing and SF knocking on the door, Brandon Crawford hit into a triple-play, the first in Washington Nationals history, and the Dodgers came back to win, closing within one-game of the Giants for first place in the National League West. The Dodgers have scored 13 runs in their last three games and five or more runs in six of their last 10 games. Seager’s RBI double in the eighth capped the scoring.
Maeda got one out in the seventh inning – giving him 120 for the season and triggering another $250,000 bonus in his contract – before giving up an RBI double to Welington Castillo that broke up his shutout bid. He remained in right field for the last two innings, making one putout. It was the first major league RBI for Toles, who started in right again for the injured Yasiel Puig.
Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke won’t pitch against his former club during this trip. Socrates Brito (fractured fight toe) made another rehab start Friday night at Single-A Visalia. The Dodgers, who split the two-game series with Tampa Bay, managed only four hits against Rays starter Matt Moore.
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With three off days over an eight-day span, the Dodgers elected to carry Puig on their 25-man roster instead of a fifth starter. Rated the Diamondbacks’ No. 1 prospect by MLB.com, Shipley gave up six runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings in his debut against Milwaukee on Monday night. The Dodgers are also 6-0 in Kazmir’s last six starts, 6-1 in his last seven home starts, and 4-1 in his last five home starts versus a team with a losing record. National League West and 6-0 in Kazmirs last 6 starts.
