Dodgers doomed again by sloppy sequence in loss to Diamondbacks
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t hit a ball out of the infield in Wednesday’s eighth inning.
To score the winning runs in their 3-1 defeat of the Dodgers, they didn’t need to.
Instead, a sloppy sequence doomed the Dodgers for a second straight day. Reliever Daniel Hudson issued a leadoff walk. Third baseman Max Muncy fired high on a bunt in the next at-bat. And in the ensuing scramble, one run scored, another runner ended up at third (leading to a second run later in the inning), and the Diamondbacks had taken a lead they wouldn’t relinquish in a rubber-match win at Chase Field.
“Up until this series, I thought we played good baseball, fundamental baseball, catching it and throwing it accurately,” manager Dave Roberts said. “This series we didn’t do a good job of that.”
Indeed, a day after they hit into five double plays (tying a franchise record in the live ball era) and were punished for poorly timed walks and errant defense in a loss, the Dodgers (12-6) struggled with the same issues in the series finale.
They were shut out for six innings by Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen, who escaped his only real jam of the day by striking out Cody Bellinger with two on in the sixth.
They ran into an out on the bases, when Edwin Ríos was caught stealing following a Gavin Lux strikeout to end the seventh.
Then, after their offense tied the score at 1-1 in the top of the eighth on a Trea Turner RBI single, their defense again faltered in a critical moment.
Gavin Lux struggled physically and mentally to begin his MLB career, but now in his second full season with the Dodgers he’s playing like a top prospect.
Daulton Varsho drew a leadoff walk to begin the fateful eighth inning, checking his swing on a full-count fastball above the zone.
In the next at-bat, Sergio Alcántara dropped a well-placed bunt toward Muncy to the left of the mound.
Muncy fielded it cleanly and threw to first, but the ball sailed on him. Lux, the second baseman who was covering the bag, tried to jump but couldn’t make the catch, the ball instead tipping off the end of his glove and dribbling into foul territory behind him.
Varsho scored from first without a throw. Alcántara raced all the way to third, and later scored on a Pavin Smith ground ball.
Muncy said afterward he “just threw the ball high.” Roberts also thought Lux might have been able to catch the ball but was caught in between on his jump and trying to keep his foot on the base.
“It’s a play we should make nine times out of 10 — 10 times out of 10,” Roberts said.
The Diamondbacks (8-11) almost added to the lead again in the eighth, when Lux — who committed a throwing error Tuesday that led to a couple of Diamondbacks runs — misfired on another throw to first that dragged Freeman off the bag.
Initially, baserunner Christian Walker was ruled safe on the play, which with two outs allowed a runner to score from second. But the call was overturned on a challenge, after video showed Freeman had gotten his foot back on the base in time.
In the end, it didn’t make a difference.
Despite a strong start from Julio Urías, who gave up only one hit (a Nick Ahmed solo home run) in a six-inning, one-run outing, and two-hit efforts from Mookie Betts and Turner, who drove in his 16th run of the season with his eighth-inning hit, the Dodgers had suffered another self-inflicted, fatal wound. It was their first series loss this season since the opening weekend at Colorado, and their first against the Diamondbacks since 2019.
“I thought we pitched well,” Roberts said. “But outside of that, I don’t think we had a good series.”
The Dodgers squandered an early lead in the 5-3 loss to the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday in Phoenix.
Short hops
Roberts said injured relievers Caleb Ferguson (Tommy John surgery recovery) and Victor González (left elbow inflammation) are expected to return in mid-to-late May. Both have been rehabilitating at the team’s spring training complex, and both are nearing minor league rehab assignments.
Starting pitcher Andrew Heaney still has not resumed throwing since he went on the injured list last week because of shoulder discomfort. Roberts didn’t offer an exact timetable for Heaney’s return but said the team is going to be “pretty conservative” with his recovery.
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